Data on glucose dehydrogenases (GDHs) are scarce and availability of these enzymes for application purposes is limited. This paper describes a new GDH from the fungus Pycnoporus cinnabarinus CIRM BRFM 137 that is the first reported GDH from a white-rot fungus belonging to the Basidiomycota. The enzyme was recombinantly produced in Aspergillus niger, a well-known fungal host producing an array of homologous or heterologous enzymes for industrial applications. The full-length gene that encodes GDH from P. cinnabarinus (PcGDH) consists of 2,425bp and codes for a deduced protein of 620 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 62.5kDa. The corresponding complementary DNA was cloned and placed under the control of the strong and constitutive glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase promoter. The signal peptide of the glucoamylase prepro sequence of A. niger was used to target PcGDH secretion into the culture medium, achieving a yield of 640mgL(-1), which is tenfold higher than any other reported value. The recombinant PcGDH was purified twofold to homogeneity in a one-step procedure with a 41% recovery using a Ni Sepharose column. The identity of the recombinant protein was further confirmed by immunodetection using western blot analysis and N-terminal sequencing. The molecular mass of the native PcGDH was 130kDa, suggesting a homodimeric form. Optimal pH and temperature were found to be similar (5.5 and 60°C, respectively) to those determined for the previously characterized GDH, i.e., from Glomerella cingulata. However PcGDH exhibits a lower catalytic efficiency of 67M(-1)s(-1) toward glucose. This substrate is by far the preferred substrate, which constitutes an advantage over other sugar oxidases in the case of blood glucose monitoring. The substrate-binding domain of PcGDH turns out to be conserved as compared to other glucose-methanol-choline (GMCs) oxidoreductases. In addition, the ability of PcGDH to reduce oxidized quinones or radical intermediates was clearly demonstrated, which raises prospects for applying this enzyme to detoxify toxic compounds formed during the degradation of lignin.

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