Screening for Polysaccharide Utilization Loci Targeting Marine Polysaccharides

Polysaccharide utilization loci (PULs) have been a goldmine for the characterization of novel carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZymes) and the understanding of their synergistic degradation of complex polysaccharides. We collected PUL predictions containing CAZymes from glycoside hydrolase families GH29, GH50 and GH117, expected to participate in marine polysaccharide breakdown. We explored the evolutionary diversity in these families in terms of sequences and PUL composition, based on sulfatases and CAZymes. From 41 selected PULs, more than 400 putative enzymes were produced, purified and screened on a large collection of carbohydrates. We attributed a function to more than 130 enzymes from five sulfatase subfamilies, 29 known CAZymes families and discovered an activity for 4 families previously of unknown function, including an α-L-galactosidase structurally and functionally characterized with mutants. Finally, our detailed analysis of the enzymatic synergies in five PULs, two targeting marine polysaccharides and three targeting eukaryotic polysaccharides, by marine and human gut organisms, highlight the efficiency of our exploratory strategy.