Browsing by Author "Pleiss, Jürgen"

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Open Access
Activity of lipases and esterases towards tertiary alcohols : new insights into structure-function relationships
(2002) Henke, Erik; Pleiss, Jürgen; Bornscheuer, Uwe Theo
Hydrolytic enzymes are versatile biocatalysts and find increasing applications in organic synthesis and a considerable number of industrial processes using these enzymes have been commercialized. Within this class, lipases (E.C. 3.1.1.3) and carboxyl esterases (E.C. 3.1.1.1) are frequently used as they accept a broad range of non-natural substrates, are usually very stable in organic solvents and exhibit good to excellent stereoselectivity.
Open Access
Bayesian estimation reveals that reproducible models in systems biology get more citations
(2023) Höpfl, Sebastian; Pleiss, Jürgen; Radde, Nicole E.
The Systems Biology community has taken numerous actions to develop data and modeling standards towards FAIR data and model handling. Nevertheless, the debate about incentives and rewards for individual researchers to make their results reproducible is ongoing. Here, we pose the specific question of whether reproducible models have a higher impact in terms of citations. Therefore, we statistically analyze 328 published models recently classified by Tiwari et al. based on their reproducibility. For hypothesis testing, we use a flexible Bayesian approach that provides complete distributional information for all quantities of interest and can handle outliers. The results show that in the period from 2013, i.e., 10 years after the introduction of SBML, to 2020, the group of reproducible models is significantly more cited than the non-reproducible group. We show that differences in journal impact factors do not explain this effect and that this effect increases with additional standardization of data and error model integration via PEtab. Overall, our statistical analysis demonstrates the long-term merits of reproducible modeling for the individual researcher in terms of citations. Moreover, it provides evidence for the increased use of reproducible models in the scientific community.
Open Access
Blocking the tunnel: engineering of Candida rugosa lipase mutants with short chain length specificity
(2002) Schmitt, Jutta; Brocca, Stefania; Schmid, Rolf D.; Pleiss, Jürgen
The molecular basis of chain length specificity of Candida rugosa lipase 1 was investigated by molecular modelling and site-directed mutagenesis. The synthetic lip1 gene and the lipase mutants were expressed in Pichia pastoris and assayed for their chain length specificity in single substrate assays using triglycerides as well as in a competitive substrate assay using a randomized oil. Mutation of amino acids at different locations inside the tunnel (P246F, L413F, L410W, L410F/S300E, L410F/S365L) resulted in mutants with a different chain length specificity. Mutants P246F and L413F have a strong preference for short chain lengths whereas substrates longer than C10 are hardly hydrolyzed. Increasing the bulkiness of the amino acid at position 410 led to mutants that show a strong discrimination of chain lengths longer than C14. The results obtained can be explained by a simple mechanical model: the activity for a fatty acid sharply decreases as it becomes long enough to reach the mutated site. In contrast, a mutation at the entrance of the tunnel (L304F) has a strong impact on C4 and C6 substrates. This mutant is nevertheless capable to hydrolyze chain lengths longer than C8.
Open Access
The database of epoxide hydrolases and haloalkane dehalogenases: one structure, many functions
(2004) Barth, Sandra; Fischer, Markus; Schmid, Rolf D.; Pleiss, Jürgen
The epoxide hydrolases and haloalkane dehalogenase database (EH/HD) integrates sequence and structure of a highly diverse protein family including mainly the Asp-hydrolases of EHs and HDs but also proteins like the Ser-hydrolases non-heme peroxidases, prolyl iminopetidases or 2-hydroxymuconic semialdehyde hydrolases. These proteins have a highly conserved structure, but display a remarkable diversity in sequence and function. 305 protein entries were assigned to 14 homologous families, forming two superfamilies. Annotated multisequence alignments and phylogenetic trees are provided for each homologous family and superfamily. Experimentally derived structures of 19 proteins are superposed and consistently annotated. Sequence and structure of all 305 proteins were systematically analysed. Thus, deeper insight is gained into the role of a highly conserved sequence motifs and structural elements. The EH/HD database is available at http://www.led.uni-stuttgart.de.
Open Access
EnzymeML : a data exchange format for biocatalysis and enzymology
(2021) Range, Jan; Halupczok, Colin; Lohmann, Jens; Swainston, Neil; Kettner, Carsten; Bergmann, Frank T.; Weidemann, Andreas; Wittig, Ulrike; Schnell, Santiago; Pleiss, Jürgen
EnzymeML is an XML‐based data exchange format that supports the comprehensive documentation of enzymatic data by describing reaction conditions, time courses of substrate and product concentrations, the kinetic model, and the estimated kinetic constants. EnzymeML is based on the Systems Biology Markup Language, which was extended by implementing the STRENDA Guidelines. An EnzymeML document serves as a container to transfer data between experimental platforms, modeling tools, and databases. EnzymeML supports the scientific community by introducing a standardized data exchange format to make enzymatic data findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable according to the FAIR data principles. An application programming interface in Python supports the integration of software tools for data acquisition, data analysis, and publication. The feasibility of a seamless data flow using EnzymeML is demonstrated by creating an EnzymeML document from a structured spreadsheet or from a STRENDA DB database entry, by kinetic modeling using the modeling platform COPASI, and by uploading to the enzymatic reaction kinetics database SABIO‐RK.
Open Access
Expansin Engineering Database : a navigation and classification tool for expansins and homologues
(2020) Lohoff, Caroline; Buchholz, Patrick C. F.; Le Roes‐Hill, Marilize; Pleiss, Jürgen
Expansins have the remarkable ability to loosen plant cell walls and cellulose material without showing catalytic activity and therefore have potential applications in biomass degradation. To support the study of sequence‐structure‐function relationships and the search for novel expansins, the Expansin Engineering Database (ExED, https://exed.biocatnet.de) collected sequence and structure data on expansins from Bacteria, Fungi, and Viridiplantae, and expansin‐like homologues such as carbohydrate binding modules, glycoside hydrolases, loosenins, swollenins, cerato‐platanins, and EXPNs. Based on global sequence alignment and protein sequence network analysis, the sequences are highly diverse. However, many similarities were found between the expansin domains. Newly created profile hidden Markov models of the two expansin domains enable standard numbering schemes, comprehensive conservation analyses, and genome annotation. Conserved key amino acids in the expansin domains were identified, a refined classification of expansins and carbohydrate binding modules was proposed, and new sequence motifs facilitate the search of novel candidate genes and the engineering of expansins.
Open Access
FAIR and scalable management of small‐angle X‐ray scattering data
(2023) Giess, Torsten; Itzigehl, Selina; Range, Jan; Schömig, Richard; Bruckner, Johanna R.; Pleiss, Jürgen
A modular research data management toolbox based on the programming language Python, the widely used computing platform Jupyter Notebook, the standardized data exchange format for analytical data (AnIML) and the generic repository Dataverse has been established and applied to analyze small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) data according to the FAIR data principles (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable). The SAS‐tools library is a community‐driven effort to develop tools for data acquisition, analysis, visualization and publishing of SAXS data. Metadata from the experiment and the results of data analysis are stored as an AnIML document using the novel Python‐native pyAnIML API. The AnIML document, measured raw data and plots resulting from the analysis are combined into an archive in OMEX format and uploaded to Dataverse using the novel easyDataverse API, which makes each data set accessible via a unique DOI and searchable via a structured metadata block. SAS‐tools is applied to study the effects of alkyl chain length and counterions on the phase diagrams of alkyltrimethylammonium surfactants in order to demonstrate the feasibility and usefulness of a scalable data management workflow for experiments in physical chemistry.
Open Access
Fluent integration of laboratory data into biocatalytic process simulation using EnzymeML, DWSIM, and ontologies
(2024) Behr, Alexander S.; Surkamp, Julia; Abbaspour, Elnaz; Häußler, Max; Lütz, Stephan; Pleiss, Jürgen; Kockmann, Norbert; Rosenthal, Katrin
The importance of biocatalysis for ecologically sustainable syntheses in the chemical industry and for applications in everyday life is increasing. To design efficient applications, it is important to know the related enzyme kinetics; however, the measurement is laborious and error-prone. Flow reactors are suitable for rapid reaction parameter screening; here, a novel workflow is proposed including digital image processing (DIP) for the quantification of product concentrations, and the use of structured data acquisition with EnzymeML spreadsheets combined with ontology-based semantic information, leading to rapid and smooth data integration into a simulation tool for kinetics evaluation. One of the major findings is that a flexibly adaptive ontology is essential for FAIR (findability, accessibility, interoperability, reusability) data handling. Further, Python interfaces enable consistent data transfer.
Open Access
How to find soluble proteins : a comprehensive analysis of alpha/beta hydrolases for recombinant expression in E. coli
(2005) Koschorreck, Markus; Fischer, Markus; Barth, Sandra; Pleiss, Jürgen
Background: In screening of libraries derived by expression cloning, expression of active proteinsin E. coli can be limited by formation of inclusion bodies. In these cases it would be desirable to enrich gene libraries for coding sequences with soluble gene products in E. coli and thus to improve the efficiency of screening. Previously Wilkinson and Harrison showed that solubility can be predicted from amino acid composition (Biotechnology 1991, 9(5):443-448). We have applied this analysis to members of the alpha/beta hydrolase fold family to predict their solubility in E. coli. alpha/beta hydrolases are a highly diverse family with more than 1800 proteins which have been grouped into homologous families and superfamilies. Results: The predicted solubility in E. coli depends on hydrolase size, phylogenetic origin of the host organism, the homologous family and the superfamily, to which the hydrolase belongs. In general small hydrolases are predicted to be more soluble than large hydrolases, and eukaryotic hydrolases are predicted to be less soluble in E. coli than prokaryotic ones. However, combining phylogenetic origin and size leads to more complex conclusions. Hydrolases from prokaryotic, fungal and metazoan origin are predicted to be most soluble if they are of small, medium and large size, respectively. We observed large variations of predicted solubility between hydrolases from different homologous families and from different taxa. Conclusion: A comprehensive analysis of all alpha/beta hydrolase sequences allows more efficient screenings for new soluble alpha/beta hydrolases by the use of libraries which contain more soluble gene products. Screening of hydrolases from families whose members are hard to express as soluble proteins in E. coli should first be done in coding sequences of organisms from phylogenetic groups with the highest average of predicted solubility for proteins of this family. The tools developed here can be used to identify attractive target genes for expression using protein sequences published in databases. This analysis also directs the design of degenerate, family- specific primers to amplify new members from homologous families or superfamilies with a high probability of soluble alpha/beta hydrolases.
Open Access
Impact of remote mutations on metallo-beta-lactamase substrate specificity : implications for the evolution of antibiotic resistance
(2005) Ölschläger, Peter; Mayo, Stephen L.; Pleiss, Jürgen
Metallo-beta-lactamases have raised concerns due to their ability to hydrolyze a broad spectrum of beta-lactam antibiotics. The G262S point mutation distinguishing the metallo-beta-lactamase IMP 1 from IMP 6 has no effect on the hydrolysis of the drugs cephalothin and cefotaxime, but significantly improves catalytic efficiency toward cephaloridine, ceftazidime, benzylpenicillin, ampicillin, and imipenem. This change in specificity occurs even though residue 262 is remote from the active site. We investigated the substrate specificities of five other point mutants resulting from single nucleotide substitutions at positions near residue 262: G262A, G262V, S121G, F218Y and F218I. The results suggest two types of substrates: type I (nitrocefin, cephalothin and cefotaxime), which are converted equally well by IMP-6, IMP-1, and G262A, but even more efficiently by the other mutants, and type II (ceftazidime, benzylpenicillin, ampicillin, and imipenem), which are hydrolyzed much less efficiently by all the mutants, with IMP-1 being the most active. G262V, S121G, F218Y, and F218I improve conversion of type I substrates, whereas G262A and IMP-1 improve conversion of type II substrates, indicating two distinct evolutionary adaptations from IMP-6. Substrate structure may explain the catalytic efficiencies observed. Type I substrates have R2 electron donors, which may stabilize the substrate intermediate in the binding pocket and lead to enhanced activity. In contrast, the absence of these stabilizing interactions with type II substrates may result in poor conversion and increased sensitivity to mutations. This observation may assist future drug design. As the G262A and F218Y mutants confer effective resistance to Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) cells (high minimal inhibitory concentrations), they are likely to evolve naturally.
Open Access
Insight into the mechanism of the IMP-1 metallo-beta-lactamase by molecular dynamics simulations
(2003) Ölschläger, Peter; Schmid, Rolf D.; Pleiss, Jürgen
Two models, a purely nonbonded model and a cationic dummy atom approach, were examined for the modeling of the binuclear zinc-containing IMP-1 metallo-beta-lactamase in complex with a mercaptocarboxylate inhibitor. The cationic dummy atom approach had substantial advantages as it maintained the initial, experimentally determined geometry of the metal-containing active site during molecular dynamics simulations in water. The method was extended to the modeling of the free enzyme and the enzyme in complex with a cephalosporin substrate docked in an intermediate structure. For all three systems, the modeled complexes and the tetrahedral coordination of the zinc ions were stable. The average zinc-zinc distance increased by about 1 Å in the substrate complex compared to the inhibitor complex and the free enzyme in which a hydroxide ion acts as a bridging ligand. Thus, the zinc ions are predicted to undergo a back and forth movement upon the cycle of hydrolysis. In contrast to previous assumptions, no interaction of the Asn167 side chain with the bound cephalosporin substrate was observed. Our observations are in agreement with quantum-mechanical calculations and experimental data and indicate that the cationic dummy atom approach is useful to model zinc-containing metallo-beta-lactamases as free proteins, in complex with inhibitors and in complex with substrates.
Open Access
Inverting the stereoselectivity of an NADH‐dependent imine‐reductase variant
(2021) Stockinger, Peter; Borlinghaus, Niels; Sharma, Mahima; Aberle, Benjamin; Grogan, Gideon; Pleiss, Jürgen; Nestl, Bettina M.
Imine reductases (IREDs) offer biocatalytic routes to chiral amines and have a natural preference for the NADPH cofactor. In previous work, we reported enzyme engineering of the (R)‐selective IRED from Myxococcus stipitatus (NADH‐IRED‐Ms) yielding a NADH‐dependent variant with high catalytic efficiency. However, no IRED with NADH specificity and (S)‐selectivity in asymmetric reductions has yet been reported. Herein, we applied semi‐rational enzyme engineering to switch the selectivity of NADH‐IRED‐Ms. The quintuple variant A241V/H242Y/N243D/V244Y/A245L showed reverse stereopreference in the reduction of the cyclic imine 2‐methylpyrroline compared to the wild‐type and afforded the (S)‐amine product with >99 % conversion and 91 % enantiomeric excess. We also report the crystal‐structures of the NADPH‐dependent (R)‐IRED‐Ms wild‐type enzyme and the NADH‐dependent NADH‐IRED‐Ms variant and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to rationalize the inverted stereoselectivity of the quintuple variant.
Open Access
The Lipase Engineering Database – a navigation and analysis tool for protein families
(2003) Fischer, Markus; Pleiss, Jürgen
The Lipase Engineering Database (http://www.led.uni-stuttgart.de) integrates information on sequence, structure, and function of lipases, esterases, and related proteins. Sequence data on 806 protein entries are assigned to 38 homologous families, which are grouped into 16 superfamilies with no global sequence similarity between each other. For each family, multisequence alignments are provided with functionally relevant residues annotated. Pre-calculated phylogenetic trees allow navigation inside superfamilies. Experimental structures of 45 proteins are superposed and consistently annotated. The Lipase Engineering Database has been applied to systematically analyze sequence-structure-function relationships of this vast and diverse enzyme class. It is a useful tool to identify functionally relevant residues apart from the active site residues, and to design mutants with desired substrate specificity.
Open Access
Mechanistic basis of the increased methylation activity of the SETD2 protein lysine methyltransferase towards a designed super-substrate peptide
(2022) Schnee, Philipp; Choudalakis, Michel; Weirich, Sara; Khella, Mina S.; Carvalho, Henrique; Pleiss, Jürgen; Jeltsch, Albert
Protein lysine methyltransferases have important regulatory functions in cells, but mechanisms determining their activity and specificity are incompletely understood. Naturally, SETD2 introduces H3K36me3, but previously an artificial super-substrate (ssK36) was identified, which is methylated >100-fold faster. The ssK36-SETD2 complex structure cannot fully explain this effect. We applied molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and biochemical experiments to unravel the mechanistic basis of the increased methylation of ssK36, considering peptide conformations in solution, association of peptide and enzyme, and formation of transition-state (TS) like conformations of the enzyme-peptide complex. We observed in MD and FRET experiments that ssK36 adopts a hairpin conformation in solution with V35 and K36 placed in the loop. The hairpin conformation has easier access into the active site of SETD2 and it unfolds during the association process. Peptide methylation experiments revealed that introducing a stable hairpin conformation in the H3K36 peptide increased its methylation by SETD2. In MD simulations of enzyme-peptide complexes, the ssK36 peptide approached TS-like structures more frequently than H3K36 and distinct, substrate-specific TS-like structures were observed. Hairpin association, hairpin unfolding during association, and substrate-specific catalytically competent conformations may also be relevant for other PKMTs and hairpins could represent a promising starting point for SETD2 inhibitor development.
Open Access
Meta-analysis of viscosity of aqueous deep eutectic solvents and their components
(2020) Gygli, Gudrun; Xu, Xinmeng; Pleiss, Jürgen
Deep eutectic solvents (DES) formed by quaternary ammonium salts and hydrogen bond donors are a promising green alternative to organic solvents. Their high viscosity at ambient temperatures can limit biocatalytic applications and therefore requires fine-tuning by adjusting water content and temperature. Here, we performed a meta-analysis of the impact of water content and temperature on the viscosities of four deep eutectic solvents (glyceline, reline, N,N-diethylethanol ammonium chloride-glycerol, N,N-diethylethanol ammonium chloride-ethylene glycol), their components (choline chloride, urea, glycerol, ethylene glycol), methanol, and pure water. We analyzed the viscosity data by an automated workflow, using Arrhenius and Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann-Hesse models. The consistency and completeness of experimental data and metadata was used as an essential criterion of data quality. We found that viscosities were reported for different temperature ranges, half the time without specifying a method of desiccation, and in almost half of the reports without specifying experimental errors. We found that the viscosity of the pure components varied widely, but that all aqueous mixtures (except for reline) have similar excess activation energy of viscous flow Eexcessη= 3-5 kJ/mol, whereas reline had a negative excess activation energy (Eexcessη= - 19 kJ/mol). The data and workflows used are accessible at https://doi.org/10.15490/FAIRDOMHUB.1.STUDY.767.1.
Open Access
MetaConfigurator : a user-friendly tool for editing structured data files
(2024) Neubauer, Felix; Bredl, Paul; Xu, Minye; Patel, Keyuriben; Pleiss, Jürgen; Uekermann, Benjamin
Textual formats to structure data, such as JSON, XML, and YAML, are widely used for structuring data in various domains, from configuration files to research data. However, manually editing data in these formats can be complex and time-consuming. Graphical user interfaces (GUIs) can significantly reduce manual efforts and assist the user in editing the files, but developing a file-format-specific GUI requires substantial development and maintenance efforts. To address this challenge, we introduce MetaConfigurator : an open-source web application that generates its GUI depending on a given schema. Our approach differs from other schema-to-UI approaches in three key ways: 1) It offers a unified view that combines the benefits of both GUIs and text editors, 2) it enables schema editing within the same tool, and 3) it supports advanced schema features, including conditions and constraints. In this paper, we discuss the design and implementation of MetaConfigurator , backed by insights from a small-scale qualitative user study. The results indicate the effectiveness of our approach in retrieving information from data and schemas and in editing them.
Open Access
A model of the pressure dependence of the enantioselectivity of Candida rugosa lipase towards (±)-menthol
(2001) Kahlow, Ulrich; Schmid, Rolf D.; Pleiss, Jürgen
Transesterification of (±)-menthol using propionic acid anhydride and Candida rugosa lipase was performed in chloroform and water at different pressures (1, 10, 50, and 100 bar) to study the pressure dependence of enantioselectivity E. As a result, E significantly decreased with increasing pressure from E=55 (1 bar) to E=47 (10 bar), E=37 (50 bar), and E=9 (100 bar). In order to rationalize the experimental findings, molecular dynamics simulations of Candida rugosa lipase were carried out. Analyzing the lipase geometry at 1, 10, 50, and 100 bar revealed a cavity in the Candida rugosa lipase. The cavity leads from a position on the surface distinct from the substrate binding site to the core towards the active site and is limited by F415 and the catalytic H449. In the crystal structure of the Candida rugosa lipase, this cavity is filled with 6 water molecules. The number of water molecules in this cavity gradually increased with increasing pressure: 6 molecules in the simulation at 1 bar, 10 molecules at 10 bar, 12 molecules at 50 bar, and 13 molecules at 100 bar. Likewise, the volume of the cavity progressively increased from about 1864 Å³ in the simulation at 1 bar to 2529 Å³ at 10 bar, 2526 Å³ at 50 bar, and 2617 Å³ at 100 bar. At 100 bar, one water molecule slipped between F415 and H449, displacing the catalytic histidine side chain and thus opening the cavity to form a continuous water channel. The rotation of the side chain leads to a decreased distance between the H449-N and the (+)-menthyl-oxygen (non-preferred enantiomer) in the acyl enzyme intermediate, a factor determining the enantioselectivity of the lipase. While the geometry of the preferred enantiomer is similar in all simulations, the geometry of the non-preferred enantiomer gets gradually more reactive. This observation correlates with the gradually decreasing enantioselectivity E.
Open Access
Modeling of biocatalytic reactions: a workflow for model calibration, selection, and validation using Bayesian statistics
(2019) Eisenkolb, Ina; Jensch, Antje; Eisenkolb, Kerstin; Kramer, Andrei; Buchholz, Patrick C. F.; Pleiss, Jürgen; Spiess, Antje; Radde, Nicole
We present a workflow for kinetic modeling of biocatalytic reactions which combines methods from Bayesian learning and uncertainty quantification for model calibration, model selection, evaluation, and model reduction in a consistent statistical frame-work. Our workflow is particularly tailored to sparse data settings in which a considerable variability of the parameters remains after the models have been adapted to available data, a ubiquitous problem in many real-world applications. Our workflow is exemplified on an enzyme-catalyzed two-substrate reaction mechanism describing the symmetric carboligation of 3,5-dimethoxy-benzaldehyde to (R)-3,3',5,5'-tetramethoxybenzoin catalyzed by benzaldehyde lyase from Pseudomonas fluorescens. Results indicate a substrate-dependent inactivation of enzyme, which is in accordance with other recent studies.
Open Access
The molecular mechanism of enantiorecognition of tertiary alcohols by carboxylesterases
(2003) Henke, Erik; Bornscheuer, Uwe Theo; Schmid, Rolf D.; Pleiss, Jürgen
Carboxylesterases containing the sequence motif GGGX catalyze hydrolysis of esters of chiral tertiary alcohols, albeit at only low to moderate enantioselectivity towards three model substrates (linalyl acetate, methyl-1-pentin-1-yl acetate, 2-phenyl-3-butin-2-yl acetate). In order to understand the molecular mechanism of enantiorecognition and to improve enantioselectivity towards this interesting substrate class, the interaction of both enantiomers with the substrate binding sites of acetylcholinesterases and p-nitrobenzyl esterase from Bacillus subtilis was modeled and correlated to experimental enantioselectivity. For all substrate-enzyme pairs, enantiopreference and ranking by enantioselectivity could be predicted by the model. In p-nitrobenzyl esterase, one of the key residues in determining enantioselectivity was G105: exchange of this residue by alanine led to a six-fold increase of enantioselectivity (E=19) towards 2-phenyl-3-butin-2-yl acetate. However, the effect of this mutation is personalized: towards the substrate linalyl acetate, the same mutant had a reversed enantiopreference. Thus, depending on the substrate structure, the same mutant had either increased enantioselectivity or opposite enantiopreference compared to wild type enzyme.
Open Access
Molecular modelling of family GH16 glycoside hydrolases : potential roles for xyloglucan endotransglucosylases/hydrolases in cell wall modification in the Poaceae
(2004) Strohmeier, Marco; Hrmova, Maria; Fischer, Markus; Harvey, Andrew J.; Pleiss, Jürgen; Fincher, Geoffrey B.
Family GH16 glycoside hydrolases can be assigned to five sub-groups according to their substrate specificities, including xyloglucan endotransglucosylases/hydrolases (XTHs), (1,3)-β- galactanases, (1,4)-β-galactanases/κ-carrageenases, “non-specific” (1,3/1,3;1,4)-β-D-glucan endohydrolases and (1,3;1,4)-β-D-glucan endohydrolases. A structured family GH16 glycoside hydrolase database has been constructed (http://www.ghdb.uni-stuttgart.de) and provides multiple sequence alignments with functionally annotated amino acid residues and phylogenetic trees. The database has been used for homology modelling of seven family GH16 glycoside hydrolases, based on structural coordinates for (1,3;1,4)-β-D-glucan endohydrolases and a κ-carrageenase. In combination with multiple sequence alignments, the models predict the three-dimensional dispositions of amino acid residues in the substrate-binding and catalytic sites of XTHs and (1,3/1,3;1,4)-β-D-glucan endohydrolases, for which no structural information is available. Furthermore, they reveal similarities with the active sites of family GH11 (1,4)-β-D-xylan endohydrolases. From a biological viewpoint, the classification and molecular modelling establish structural and evolutionary connections between XTHs, (1,3;1,4)-β-D-glucan endohydrolases and xylan endohydrolases, and raise the possibility that XTHs from higher plants could be active not only on cell wall xyloglucans, but also on (1,3;1,4)-β-D-glucans and arabinoxylans, which are major components of walls in grasses. A role for XTHs in (1,3;1,4)-β-D-glucan and arabinoxylan modification would be consistent with the apparent over-representation of XTH sequences in cereal EST databases.