Screening of Aspergillus-derived FAD-glucose dehydrogenases from fungal genome database

Aspergillus-derived FAD-dependent glucose dehydrogenases (FADGDHs) were screened from fungal genomic databases, primarily by searching for putative homologues of the Aspergillus niger-derived glucose oxidase (GOD). Focusing on a GOD active-site motif, putative proteins annotated as belonging to the glucose methanol choline (GMC) oxidoreductase family were selected. Phylogenetic analysis of these putative proteins produced a GOD clade, which includes the A. niger and Penicillium amagasakiens GODs, and a second clade made up of putative proteins showing 30–40% homology with GOD. The genes encoding the proteins from the second clade were functionally expressed in Escherichia coli, resulting in dye-mediated glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) activity but not GOD activity. These results suggest that the putative proteins belonging to the second clade are FADGDHs. The 3D structure models of these FADGDHs were compared with the 3D structure of GOD.