Epoxyalkyl glycosides of D-xylose and xylo-oligosaccharides are active-site markers of xylanases from glycoside hydrolase family 11, not from family 10.

A series of omega-epoxyalkyl glycosides of D-xylopyranose, xylobiose and xylotriose were tested as potential active-site-directed inhibitors of xylanases from glycoside hydrolase families10 and 11. Whereas family-10 enzymes (Thermoascus aurantiacus Xyn and Clostridium thermocellum Xyn Z) are resistant toelectrophilic attack of active-site carboxyl residues, glycosidehydrolases of family 11 (Thermomyces lanuginosus Xyn and Trichoderma reesei Xyn II) are irreversibly inhibited. Theapparent inactivation and association constants (k(i), 1/K(i)) are one order of magnitude higher for thexylobiose and xylotriose derivatives. The effects of the aglycone chainlength can clearly be described. Xylobiose and n-alkyl beta-D-xylopyranosides are competitive ligands and provide protectionagainst inactivation. MS measurements showed 1:1 stoichiometries inmost labelling experiments. Electrospray ionization MS/MS analysisrevealed the nucleophile Glu(86) as the modified residue inthe T. lanuginosus xylanase when 2,3-epoxypropyl beta-D-xylopyranoside was used, whereas the acid/base catalyst Glu(178) was modified by the 3,4-epoxybutyl derivative. The active-site residues Glu(86) and Glu(177) in T. reesei Xyn II are similarly modified, confirming earlier X-raycrystallographic data [Havukainen, Törrönen, Laitinen and Rouvinen (1996)Biochemistry 35, 9617-9624]. The inability of the omega-epoxyalkyl xylo(oligo)saccharide derivatives to inactivate family-10enzymes is discussed in terms of different ligand-subsiteinteractions.