Glycosyl hydrolase family 32, beta-fructosidases. Glycosyl hydrolase family GH32 cleaves sucrose into fructose and glucose via beta-fructofuranosidase activity, producing invert sugar that is a mixture of dextrorotatory D-glucose and levorotatory D-fructose, thus named invertase (EC 3.2.1.26). This family also contains other fructofuranosidases such as inulinase (EC 3.2.1.7), exo-inulinase (EC 3.2.1.80), levanase (EC 3.2.1.65), and transfructosidases such sucrose:sucrose 1-fructosyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.99), fructan:fructan 1-fructosyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.100), sucrose:fructan 6-fructosyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.10), fructan:fructan 6G-fructosyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.243) and levan fructosyltransferases (EC 2.4.1.-). These retaining enzymes (i.e. they retain the configuration at anomeric carbon atom of the substrate) catalyze hydrolysis in two steps involving a covalent glycosyl enzyme intermediate: an aspartate located close to the N-terminus acts as the catalytic nucleophile and a glutamate acts as the general acid/base; a conserved aspartate residue in the Arg-Asp-Pro (RDP) motif stabilizes the transition state. These enzymes are predicted to display a 5-fold beta-propeller fold as found for GH43 and CH68. The breakdown of sucrose is widely used as a carbon or energy source by bacteria, fungi, and plants. Invertase is used commercially in the confectionery industry, since fructose has a sweeter taste than sucrose and a lower tendency to crystallize. A common structural feature of all these enzymes is a 5-bladed beta-propeller domain, similar to GH43, that contains the catalytic acid and catalytic base. A long V-shaped groove, partially enclosed at one end, forms a single extended substrate-binding surface across the face of the propeller.
