Creation of the Ulvan Lyase Enzyme Complex for the Production of Ulvan-Derived Oligosaccharides

Ulvan, a primary constituent of green algae biomass, has the potential to be used for various biomedical and biotechnology applications. Its biological activity is significantly influenced by its molecular weight. However, the high molecular weight of ulvan poses challenges due to its high viscosity and poor solubility, necessitating an efficient depolymerization process. The ulvan oligosaccharide, produced by decomposing ulvan, not only retains the diverse biological activities of ulvan but also overcomes the issues of low solubility and diminished bioavailability. In this study, ulvan lyase and unsaturated beta-glucuronyl hydrolase were engineered by attaching dockerin to the C-terminus of the enzymes. The resultant ulvan lyase enzyme complex was then reacted with ulvan extracted from biomass to evaluate its depolymerization efficacy. The low-molecular-weight ulvan lysate generated by this enzyme complex showed enhanced prebiotic activity compared to lysate from a single-subunit enzyme. These findings suggest that further decomposition of ulvans via ulvan lyase complex can increase the practical use of ulvan-derived oligosaccharides. Hence, employing electrostatic dockerin-cohesin interactions in seaweed polysaccharide depolymerase complex proves to be effective, offering significant promise for advancing biotechnology research for producing functional oligosaccharides.