Role of β-L-Arabinofuranosidases in Intestinal Bacteria

Abstract

β-L-Arabinofuranosidase (β-Arafase) is an enzyme belonging to the glycoside hydrolase families GH127/137/142/146 that hydrolyze β-L-arabinofuranoside (Araf) from plant polysaccharides and glycoproteins. With the development of functional and structural analyses of β-Arafases from major human intestinal bacteria Bifidobacterium longum ssp. longum and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, the importance of β-Arafase to remove modified sugars has been revealed for the efficient degradation of dietary fibers by the intestinal bacteria. This minireview describes the distribution of β-Araf in plant polysaccharides and glycoproteins and the findings revealed by functional and structural studies of β-Arafases from intestinal bacteria.