Applications in biocatalysis of glycosyl hydrolases from the hyperthermophilic Archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus

Carbohydrates serve as structural components and energy sources of cells. More interestingly, however, these biomolecules are involved in a variety of molecular recognition processes in intercellular communication and signal transduction such as cell adhesion, differentiation, development and regulation. For these reasons, great interest has arisen in carbohydrate-based pharmaceuticals and on the development of techniques for the analysis and synthesis of oligosaccharides. In this respect, enzymes involved in carbohydrates hydrolysis and modification are increasingly being utilised for the bioconversion of sugars, for the synthesis of oligosaccharides with potential application, and for the characterisation of carbohydrate compounds of unknown structure. In this review, the enzymology and the applications of three glycosyl hydrolases from the archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus are described. In particular, we focus on the enzymological properties of a beta-glycosidase, an alpha-xylosidase, and an alpha-fucosidase; their exploitation in oligosaccharides synthesis will be also described.