Recombinant production and characterization of six novel GH27 and GH36 α-galactosidases from Penicillium subrubescens and their synergism with a commercial mannanase during the hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass

alpha-Galactosidases are important industrial enzymes for hemicellulosic biomass degradation or modification. In this study, six novel extracellular alpha-galactosidases from Penicillium subrubescens were produced in Pichia pastoris and characterized. All alpha-galactosidases exhibited high affinity to pNP alpha Gal, and only AglE was not active towards galacto-oligomers. Especially AglB and AglD released high amounts of galactose from guar gum, carob galactomannan and locust bean, but combining alpha-galactosidases with an endomannanase dramatically improved galactose release. Structural comparisons to other alpha-galactosidases and homology modelling showed high sequence similarities, albeit significant differences in mechanisms of productive binding, including discrimination between various galactosides. To our knowledge, this is the first study of such an extensive repertoire of extracellular fungal alpha-galactosidases, to demonstrate their potential for degradation of galactomannan-rich biomass. These findings contribute to understanding the differences within glycoside hydrolase families, to facilitate the development of new strategies to generate tailor-made enzymes for new industrial bioprocesses.