Reaction: endohydrolysis of (1→3)-α-L-fucoside linkages in fucan
Other name(s): α-L-fucosidase (incorrect); poly(1,3-α-L-fucoside-2/4-sulfate) glycanohydrolase
Systematic name: poly[(1→3)-α-L-fucoside-2/4-sulfate] glycanohydrolase
Comments: The enzyme specifically hydrolyses (1→3)-α-L-fucoside linkages in fucan. Fucans are found mainly in different species of seaweed and are sulfated polysaccharides with a backbone of (1→3)-linked or alternating (1→3)- and (1→4)-linked α-L-fucopyranosyl residues. In the literature, the sulfated polysaccharides are often called fucoidans. Fucoidans include polysaccharides with a relatively low proportion of fucose and some polysaccharides that have a backbone composed of other saccharides with fucose in the branching side chains. The sulfation of the α-L-fucopyranosyl residues may occur at positions 2 and 4. The enzyme degrades fucan to sulfated α-L-fucooligosaccharides but neither L-fucose nor small fucooligosaccharides are produced.
Links to other databases: BRENDA, EXPASY, KEGG, MetaCyc, CAS registry number:
References:
1. Thanassi, N.M. and Nakada, H.I. Enzymic degradation of fucoidan by enzymes from the hepatopancreas of abalone, Halotus species. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 118 (1967) 172-177.
2. Bakunina, I.Iu, Nedashkovskaia, O.I., Alekseeva, S.A., Ivanova, E.P., Romanenko, L.A., Gorshkova, N.M., Isakov, V.V., Zviagintseva, T.N. and Mikhailov, V.V. [Degradation of fucoidan by the marine proteobacterium Pseudoalteromonas citrea] Mikrobiologiia 71 (2002) 49-55. [PMID: 11910806] (in Russian)
3. Berteau, O. and Mulloy, B. Sulfated fucans, fresh perspectives: structures, functions, and biological properties of sulfated fucans and an overview of enzymes active toward this class of polysaccharide. Glycobiology 13 (2003) 29R-40R. [PMID: 12626402]
4. Bilan, M.I., Kusaykin, M.I., Grachev, A.A., Tsvetkova, E.A., Zvyagintseva, T.N., Nifantiev, N.E. and Usov, A.I. Effect of enzyme preparation from the marine mollusk Littorina kurila on fucoidan from the brown alga Fucus distichus. Biochemistry (Mosc.) 70 (2005) 1321-1326. [PMID: 16417453]