Properties and potential applications of mannuronan C5-epimerase: A biotechnological tool for modifying alginate

Given the excellent characteristics of alginate, it is an industrially important polysaccharide. Mannuronan C5-epimerase (MC5E) is an alginate-modifying enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of beta-D-mannuronate (M) to its C5 epimer alpha-L-guluronate (G) in alginate. Both the biological activities and physical properties of alginate are determined by M/G ratios and distribution patterns. Therefore, MC5E is regarded as a biotechnological tool for modifying and processing alginate. Various MC5Es derived from brown algae, Pseudomonas and Azotobacter have been isolated and characterized. With the rapid development of structural biology, the crystal structures and catalytic mechanisms of several MC5Es have been elucidated. It is necessary to comprehensively understand the research status of this alginate-modifying enzyme. In this review, the properties and potential applications of MC5Es isolated from different kinds of organisms are summarized and reviewed. Moreover, future research directions of MC5Es as well as strategies to enhance their properties are elucidated, highlighted, and prospected. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Alginate, an industrially important polysaccharide, has its biological activities and physical properties determined by M/G ratios and distribution patterns. MC5E, as a crucial alginate-modifying enzyme, is regarded as a biotechnological tool for altering the properties of alginate. The crystal structures and catalytic mechanisms of several MC5Es have been elucidated, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive understanding of the research status of these enzymes.