Alpha amylase catalytic domain found in maltogenic amylases, cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase, and related proteins
Enzymes such as amylases, cyclomaltodextrinase (CDase), and cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (CGTase) degrade starch to smaller oligosaccharides by hydrolyzing the alpha-D-(1,4) linkages between glucose residues. In the case of CGTases, an additional cyclization reaction is catalyzed yielding mixtures of cyclic oligosaccharides which are referred to as alpha-, beta-, or gamma-cyclodextrins (CDs), consisting of six, seven, or eight glucose residues, respectively. CGTases are characterized depending on the major product of the cyclization reaction. Besides having similar catalytic site residues, amylases and CGTases contain carbohydrate binding domains that are distant from the active site and are implicated in attaching the enzyme to raw starch granules and in guiding the amylose chain into the active site. The maltogenic alpha-amylase from Bacillus is a five-domain structure, unlike most alpha-amylases, but similar to that of cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase. In addition to the A, B, and C domains, they have a domain D and a starch-binding domain E. Maltogenic amylase is an endo-acting amylase that has activity on cyclodextrins, terminally modified linear maltodextrins, and amylose. The Alpha-amylase family comprises the largest family of glycoside hydrolases (GH), with the majority of enzymes acting on starch, glycogen, and related oligo- and polysaccharides. These proteins catalyze the transformation of alpha-1,4 and alpha-1,6 glucosidic linkages with retention of the anomeric center. The protein is described as having 3 domains: A, B, C. A is a (beta/alpha) 8-barrel; B is a loop between the beta 3 strand and alpha 3 helix of A; C is the C-terminal extension characterized by a Greek key. The majority of the enzymes have an active site cleft found between domains A and B where a triad of catalytic residues (Asp, Glu and Asp) performs catalysis. Other members of this family have lost the catalytic activity as in the case of the human 4F2hc, or only have 2 residues that serve as the catalytic nucleophile and the acid/base, such as Thermus A4 beta-galactosidase with 2 Glu residues (GH42) and human alpha-galactosidase with 2 Asp residues (GH31). The family members are quite extensive and include: alpha amylase, maltosyltransferase, cyclodextrin glycotransferase, maltogenic amylase, neopullulanase, isoamylase, 1,4-alpha-D-glucan maltotetrahydrolase, 4-alpha-glucotransferase, oligo-1,6-glucosidase, amylosucrase, sucrose phosphorylase, and amylomaltase.
Jiyao W et al.(2023). "The conserved domain database in 2023.",