Characterization of HpnG as a Purine Nucleoside Phosphorylase in Bacteriohopanepolyol Biosynthesis†

Abstract

Comprehensive SummaryHpnG plays a crucial role in the production of ribosylhopane, a key intermediate in the biosynthesis of bacteriohopanepolyol. Despite early extensive studies, the precise function of HpnG has remained elusive. Here, we report functional characterization of HpnG as a purine nucleoside phosphorylase, which converts adenosylhopane to phosphoribosylhopane in the presence of phosphate. HpnG demonstrates broad substrate specificity and impressive stability, making it a valuable enzymatic tool for applications in nucleoside processing and related biotechnology.