The C2 entity of chitosugars is crucial in molecular selectivity of the Vibrio campbellii chitoporin

Choosy channel selective for certain sugars

28 February 2022

The discovery of how a sugar-specific channel protein found in marine bacteria mediates its intake of molecules from shellfish waste could inform the development of nanopore devices and other biotechnologies.

The chitoporin channel used by Vibrio bacteria is exquisitely selective for certain forms of chitin, a type of sugar found in the exoskeletons of crustaceans.

Now, a team led by researchers at Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology has found that the ability of chitins to pass through the channel depends on the type of chemical tag they carry at one particular atom in their sugar structure.

With the right kind of tag at the C2 position, the sugars developed high affinity for the pore of the protein and were pulled through the channel. The finding helps explain how marine bacteria consume this vital energy supply, a metabolic strategy that could by technologically harnessed for genetically engineered biological applications.

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References

1. Journal of Biological Chemistry 297, 101350 (2021). doi: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101350