Applications in Biocatalysis of Glycosyl Hydrolases from the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus

Carbohydrates serve as structural components and en- ergy 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, differ- entiation, development and regulation. For these rea- sons, 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 oligosac- charides with potential application, and for the charac- terisation 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 b-glycosidase, an a-xylo- sidase, and an a-fucosidase; their exploitation in oligo- saccharides synthesis will be also described.