Electrospray ionization mass spectrometric analysis of κ-carrageenan oligosaccharides obtained by degradation with κ-carrageenase from Pedobacter hainanensis

J Agric Food Chem. 2014 Mar 19;62(11):2398-405. doi: 10.1021/jf500429r. Epub 2014 Mar 7.

Abstract

κ-Carrageenan was degraded with a novel κ-carrageenase isolated from Pedobacter hainanensis, which was first isolated from seaside soil under the stacks of red algae in Hainan province of China. The κ-carrageenase was detected with a molecular weight of ∼55 kDa estimated from SDS-PAGE and yielded enzymatic activity of 700.53 units/mg of protein under the conditions of pH 7.0 and 40 °C. Analysis of the degradation products by TLC and HPLC indicated that the enzyme degraded κ-carrageenan to sulfated oligosaccharides with even-numbered degree of polymerization, of which the tetrasaccharide was the major product. All the degradation components during different time courses were analyzed by ESI-MS, and their structures were assigned. Structural analysis by CID MS/MS revealed that each carrageenan oligosaccharide was composed of An-G4S-type neocarrabiose units, which consisted of a 3,6-anhydro-α-d-galactose (An) residue in the nonreducing end and a β-d-galactose-4-sulfate (G4S) residue in the reducing end. These results demonstrated that the κ-carrageenase cleaved κ-carrageenan at the internal β-1,4 linkage of κ-carrageenan. This enzymatic degradation offers an alternative approach to prepare κ-carrageenan oligosaccharides, which could be used as a powerful tool for further study on biological activity-structure relationship and thorough industrial exploitation of κ-carrageenan.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Proteins / chemistry*
  • Bacterial Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Biocatalysis
  • Carrageenan / chemistry*
  • Carrageenan / isolation & purification
  • Glycoside Hydrolases / chemistry*
  • Oligosaccharides / chemistry*
  • Pedobacter / chemistry
  • Pedobacter / enzymology*
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / methods

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Oligosaccharides
  • Carrageenan
  • Glycoside Hydrolases