HOPE
Harnessing the Oxidative Power of Enzymes

 

 

 

 

HOPE – Harnessing the Oxidative Power of Enzymes was a strategic research project funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation with the aim to address the pressing challenge of studying some of Nature’s most powerful oxidative enzymes, known as lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases or LPMOs.

These enzymes are important for converting biological material such as cellulose that is not easily degraded, into biofuels and chemicals. With the help of copper in its structure, the LPMOs can modify the cellulose fibers allowing other enzymes to access the material and release the sugar in the biomass. LPMOs are already used commercially today for converting plant waste to bioethanol.

A key element of the project involved establishing the Laboratory of Oxidative Enzymology at the Copenhagen Plant Science Center. The laboratory includes unique facilities with equipment to work under oxygen-free conditions and dedicated facilities for microbial and plant work.

The project was a partnership between The Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences hosting the Copenhagen Plant Science Center, the Department of Chemistry and the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research at the University of Copenhagen and the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability at the Technical University of Denmark.

 

 

 

2022


S. Banerjee, S. J. Muderspach, T. Tandrup, K. E. H. Frandsen, R. K. Singh, J. Ø. Ipsen, C. Hernandez-Rollan, M. H .H. Nørholm, M. J. Bjerrum, K. S. Johansen and L. L. Leggio (2022) Protonation state of an important histidine from high resolution structures of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases. Biomolecules 202212(2), 194; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom12020194

2021

R. Tokin, J. Ø. Ipsen, M. M. Poojary, P. E. Jensen, L. Olsson and K. S. Johansen (2021) Inhibition of LPMOs by fermented persimmon juice. Biomolecules. 2021 Dec; 11(12): 1890 10.3390/biom11121890

R. Tokin, K. E. R. Frandsen, J. Ørskov Ipsen, L. Lo Leggio, M. M. Poojary, J-G Berrin, S. Grisel, S. Brander, P. Erik Jensen and K. S. Johansen (2021) Inhibition of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase by natural plant extracts. New Phytologist. doi:  http://doi.org/10.1111/nph.17676 

S. Brander, S. Lausten, J. Ø. Ipsen, K. B. Falkenberg, A. B. Bertelsen, M. H. Nørholm, L. H. Østergaard and K. S. Johansen (2021) Colorimetric LPMO assay with direct implication for cellulolytic activity. Biotechnol Biofuels 14,51 doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13068-021-01902-4  

K.E.H. Frandsen, M. Haon, S. Grisel, B. Henrissat, L. Lo. Leggio and J-G. Berrin (2021) Identification of the molecular determinants driving the substrate specificity of fungal lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs), JBC, 296, 100086. doi: https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.RA120.015545

Y.A. Theibich, S.P.A. Sauer, L. Lo. Leggio and E.D. Hedegård (2021) Estimating the accuracy of calculated electron paramagnetic resonance hyperfine couplings for a lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase. Comp. Struct. Biotech. J. 19, 555-567. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csbj.2020.12.014

Ipsen, J.Ø., Hallas-Møller, M., Brander, S., Leggio, L.L., Johansen, K.S. (2021). Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases and other histidine-brace copper proteins: structure, oxygen activation and biotechnological applications. Biochem Soc Trans. BST20201031. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/BST20201031

2020

Labourel, A., Frandsen, K. E. H., Zhang, F., Brouilly, N., Grisel, S., Haon, M., Ciano, L., Ropartz, D., Fanuel, M., Martin, F., Navarro, D., Rosso, M-N., Tandrup, T., Bissaro, B., Johansen, K. S., Zerva, A., Walton, P. H., Henrissat, B., Leggio, L. L., and Berrin J-G. (2020). A fungal family of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase-like copper proteins. Nat Chem Biol 16, 345-350. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-019-0438-8

Peciulyte, A., Xafenias, N., Galbe, M., Scott, B. R., Olsson, L., Johansen, K. S. (2020). Storage and handling of pretreated lignocellulose affects the redox chemistry during subsequent enzymatic saccharification. Bioresour. Bioprocess. 7, 64. doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40643-020-00353-3

Brander, S., Horvath, I., Ipsen, J.Ø., Peciulyte, A., Olsson, L., Hernández-Rollán, C., Nørholm, M. H. H., Mossin, S., Leggio, L. L., Probst, C., Thiele, D. J., and Johansen, K. S. (2020). Biochemical evidence of both copper chelation and oxygenase activity at the histidine brace. Sci Rep 10, 16369. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-73266-y

Garcia-Santamarina, S., Probst, C., Festa, R.A., Ding, C., Smith, A. D., Conklin, S. E., Brander, S., Kinch, L. N., Grishin, N. V., Franz, K. J., Riggs-Gelasco, P., Leggio, L. L., Johansen, K. S., and Thiele, D. J. (2020). A lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase-like protein functions in fungal copper import and meningitis. Nat Chem Biol 16, 337-344. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-019-0437-9

Tokin, R., Ipsen, J. Ø., Westh, P., Johansen, K. S. (2020). The synergy between LPMOs and cellulases in enzymatic saccharification of cellulose is both enzyme- and substratedependent. Biotechnol Lett 42, 1975-1984. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10529-020-02922-0

Tandrup, T., Tryfona, T., Frandsen, K. E. H., Johansen, K. S., Dupree, P., and Leggio, L. L. (2020). Oligosaccharide binding and thermostability of two related AA9 Lytic Polysaccharide Monooxygenases. Biochemistry 59 (36), 3347-3358. doi: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biochem.0c00312

2019

Frandsen, K. E. H, Tovborg, M., Jørgensen, C.I., Spodsberg, N., Rosso, M-N., Hemsworth, G. R., Garman, E. F., Grime, G. W., Poulsen, J-C. N., Batth, T. S., Miyauchi, S., Lipzen, A., Daum, C., Grigoriev, I. V., Johansen, K. S., Henrissat, B., Berrin, J-G., and Leggio, L. L. (2019). Insights into an unusual Auxiliary Activity 9 family member lacking the histidine brace motif of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases. The Journal of Biological Chemistry 294, 17117-17130. doi: https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.RA119.009223

Muderspach, S. J., Tandrup, T., Frandsen, K. E. H., Santoni, G., Poulsen, J-C. N., and Leggio, L. L. (2019). Further structural studies of the lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase AoAA13 belonging to the starch-active AA13 family. Amylase, 3 (1), 41-54. doi: https://doi.org/10.1515/amylase-2019-0004

2018

Tandrup, T., Frandsen, K. E. H., Johansen, K. S., Berrin, J.-G., and Leggio, L. L. (2018). Recent insights into lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs). Biochem Soc Trans 46 (6): 1431–1447. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/BST20170549

Leggio, L.L., Weihe, C. D., Poulsen, J.-C. N., Sweeney, M., Rasmussen, F., Lin, J., De Maria, L., and Wogulis, M. (2018). Structure of a lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase from Aspergillus fumigatus and an engineered thermostable variant. Carbohydrate Research, 469, 55-59. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carres.2018.08.009

Publications by HOPE project members

This is a list of publications by members of HOPE, which are a result of other funding, but relevant to the overall objectives of HOPE.

2021

K. Mirzadeh, P.J. Shilling, R. Elfageih, H.L. Cui, M. Rennig, M.H.H. Nørholm and D.O. Daley (2020) Increased production of periplasmic proteins in Escherichia coli by directed evolution of the translation initiation region. Microbial Cell Factories, 19(1):85. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12934-020-01339-8

2018

Peciulyte, A., Samuelsson, L., Olsson, L., McFarland, K. C., Frickmann, J., Østergård, L., Halvorsen, R., Scott, B. R., and Johansen, K. S. (2018). Redox processes acidify and decarboxylate steam-pretreated lignocellulosic biomass and are modulated by LPMO and catalase. Biotechnol Biofuels 11, 165. doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13068-018-1159-z

Johansen, K. S. (2016). Oxidative Copper-Enzymes are the Key for Unlocking Recalcitrant Biopolymers. Doctoral dissertation.
Doctoral defence took place on Friday the 26th of January, 2018 at the University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark.

2017

Simmons, T. J., Frandsen, K. E. H., Ciano, L., Tryfona, T., Lenfant, N., Poulsen, J. C., Wilson, L. F. L., Tandrup, T., Tovborg, M., Schnorr, K., Johansen, K. S., Henrissat, B., Walton, P. H., Leggio, L. L., and Dupree, P. (2017). Structural and electronic determinants of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase reactivity on polysaccharide substrates. Nat commun 8, 1064. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-01247-3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

News

11.10.22
Congratulations to Tanveer Batth et. al., on the pre-print publication of their paper "A membrane integral methyltransferase catalysing N-terminal histidine methylation of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases"

23.08.22
As the HOPE project nears it's completion, the group held its final kick-out meeting on the 23.8.2022 at Helsinge.  

16.08.22
Congratulations to Tobias Tandrup et. al., on the publication of the paper "Changes in active-site geometry on X-ray photoreduction of a lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase active-site copper and saccharide binding

31.01.22
New research out: Persimmons and cinnamon may help to explain the natural cycle
https://sciencenews.dk/en/persimmons-and-cinnamon-may-help-to-explain-the-natural-cycle 

28.01.22
Save the date: MSc student Freja Bibi Knudsen defends her thesis on "The relationship between enzyme mechanism and properties of LPMOs" on the 4/2 from 10-11 am. 

24.01.22
Congratulations to Sanchari Banerjee et. al. on the publication of the paper titled "Protonation state of an important histidine from high resolution structures of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases" https://doi.org/10.3390/biom12020194

16.12.21
Congratulations to Radina Tokin et. al. on the publication of the paper titled "Inhibition of LPMOs by fermented persimmon juice" 10.3390/biom11121890

01.09.21
Congratulations to Radina Tokin et. al. on the publication of the paper titled "Inhibition of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase by natural plant extracts" https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nph.17676

24.06.21
Save the date: PhD defence at 2 pm by Tobias Tandrup on 'Structural studies of Lytic Polysaccharide Monooxygenases'.

06.06.21
Save the date: PhD defence by Kristoffer Falkenberg at 1pm.

02.06.21
Congratulations to Johan Ørskov Ipsen on the successful defence of his PhD titled "On the histidine brace in redox enzymes and chaperones"
Johan Ørskov Ipsen
27.05.21
Congratulations to Radina Tokin on the successful defence of her PhD titeled 'Inhibition of Lytic Polysaccharide Monooxygenases by Plant Extracts' 
Randina Tokin

14.05.21
New paper published! Copper binding and reactivity at the histidine brace motif: insights from mututional analysis of the Pseudomonas fluorescens copper chaperone CopC. Ipsen, J.Ø., Hernández‐Rollán, C., Muderspach, S.J., Brander, S., Bertelsen, A.B., Jensen, P.E., Nørholm, M.H.H., Leggio, L.L., Johansen, K.S. FEBS Letters.

28.04.21
Advertisement for a laboratory technician for the NNF project 'OxyMiST'

02.03.21
Advertisement for 2 x PhD fellows in the constraints of oxygen in enzymatic plant cell wall decomposition.

01.03.21
New paper published! 'Colorimetric LPMO assay with direct implication for cellulolytic activity'. Brander, S., Lausten, S., Ipsen, J., Falkenberg, K., Bertenseln, A., Nørholm, M., Østergaard, L., Johansen, K. in Biotechnology for Biofuels.

18.01.21
Mini-review published! 'Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases and other histidine-brace copper proteins: structure, oxygen activation and biotechnological applications'. Ipsen, J.Ø., Hallas-Møller, M., Brander, S., Leggio, L.L., and Johansen, K.S. in Biochem Soc Trans.

14.12.20
New paper published! 'Storage and handling of pretreated lignocellulose affects the redox chemistry during subsequent enzymatic saccharification'. Springer. Bioresources and Bioprocessing. Peciulyte, A., Xafenias, N., Galbe, M., Scott, B., Olsson, L., Johansen, K. 

02.12.20
"Best dressed Christmas door competion" at PLEN - we think HOPE lab is a strong contender!
Photo of lab door from Christmas competition
15.11.20
Welcome to Karsten Andersen! Karsten is the newest member of HOPE and will be working on the project for the next 8 months as a scientific assistent.

05.10.20
Congratulations to Katja S. Johansen on receiving a Challenge Programme grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation! Read about the major research project here.

01.10.20
New paper published! "Biochemical evidence of both copper chelation and oxygenase activity at the histidine brace" Nature. Scientific reports. Brander, S., Horvath, I., Ipsen, Ø, J., Peciulyte, A., Olsson, L., Hernández-Rollán, C., Nørholm, M., Mossin, S., Leggio, L., Probst, C., Thiele, D., Johansen, K.

24.08.20
New paper published! "Oligosaccharide binding and thermostability of two related AA9 Lytic Polysaccharide Monooxygenases. Biochemistry. Tandrup, T et.al.

27.05.20
New paper published! "The synergy between LPMOs and cellulases in enzymatic saccharification of cellulose is both enzyme- and substrate-dependent". Tokin R et.al. 

13.01.20
Researchers find that a new family of copper binding proteins is involved in fungal copper regulation. New paper published in Nature Chemical Biology.

11.12.19
Save-the-date! Mini-symposium "Cellulose science into the 21st century" taking place in Copenhagen 24-25 November 2020. Over-arching theme will be "passing on the knowledge".
Limited number of participants and priority will be given to young scientists. More information to follow.

16.09.19
New paper published! "Insights into an unusual Auxiliary Activity 9 family member lacking the histidine brace motif of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases." Frandsen KEH et.al.

01.09.19
Welcome to Kasper Kristensen! Kasper is the newest PhD student working on the HOPE project.

15.08.19
Andreas Birk Bertelsen has started working on the project and will join us for 6 months at DTU. Welcome!

30.06.19
Advertisment for PhD fellow in Structural Studies of Lytic Polysaccharide Monooxygenases 

30.06.19
Congratulations to Leila Lo Leggio, who holds the Bjerrum Brønsted Lang award lecture at the Danish Chemical Society Annual Meeting 2019.

01.04.19
Welcome to Kristian Frandsen! The newest member of the HOPE project as of the 1st of April.

25.03.19
HOPE is hiring! PhD fellow in lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) in plant pathogens. Deadline for application 1 May 2019.

01.11.18
New paper published: 'Recent insights into lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs)

15.08.18
New paper published: 'Structure of a lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase from Aspergillus fumigatus and an engineered thermostable variant.'  

04.07.18
Congratulations to Leila Lo Leggio, on receiving funding from Danmarks Frie Forskningsfond, for the project titled: 'Advanced structural studies of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases'.

18.06.18
New paper published: Redox processes acidify and decarboxylate steam-pretreated lignocellulosic biomass and are modulated by LPMO and catalase.

03.05.18
The HOPE project has found its newest Postdoc - welcome to Magnus Hallas-Møller, who joined the team on 1st of May 2018.

09.04.18
Welcome to the team Kristoffer! - HOPE's latest PhD student, as per 1st of April 2018.  

14.03.18
HOPE is growing! Welcome to the new PhD students Radina and Johan.
See the full list of project members here.

27.02.18
Katja Salomon Johansen is awarded the doctorate degree.
On January 26, Katja S. Johansen successfully defended her doctoral thesis
titled: Oxidative Copper-Enzymes are the Key for Unlocking Recalcitrant
Biopolymers.

13.11.17
Attacking different biomass components

06.11.17
New laboratory at Copenhagen Plant Science Center will investigate a newly discovered group of enzymes

30.10.17
The webpage is live!
We are pleased to announce the HOPE project webpage is now up and running - welcome!

FUNDING

Novo Nordisk FoundationThe HOPE project was funded by a five year grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation, which commenced in 2017. Grant number NNF17SA0027704

Project: HOPE – Harnessing the Oxidative Power of Enzymes
Period:  Sep. 2017 - Dec. 2022

CONTACT

Grant recipient
Katja S. Johansen
Tel: +45 3533 3706
E-mail: ksj@ign.ku.dk

Project administrator
Tania F. Nielsen
Tel: +45 3533 1280
E-mail: tn@ign.ku.dk

HOPE logo