The Carboxyl Terminus of Coffee Bean α-Galactosidase Is Critical for Enzyme Activity

The role of the carboxyl (C)-terminal region of coffee bean α-galactosidase (α-GAL) has been studied by expressing C-terminal deletion mutants in the methylotrophic yeast strain Pichia pastoris. A previous study of human α-galactosidase determined that enzyme activity increased when up to 10 amino acid residues were deleted. Deleting 11 residues reduced activity, and deleting 12 residues abolished activity. In our studies, α-GAL activity is reduced when one or two amino acids are deleted, as is enzyme secretion directed by P. pastoris signal sequences. The pH profile is similar to that of the wild-type enzyme. Deleting 3 or more residues from the C-terminal end results in a complete loss of both enzyme secretion and activity. The C-terminus of α-GAL seems to play an important role in overall enzyme conformation and may directly affect the proper conformation of the active site.