Difference in mode of inhibition between alpha-D-xylosyl beta-D-fructoside and alpha-isomaltosyl beta-D-fructoside in synthesis of glucan by Streptococcus mutans D-glucosyltransferase

Enzymatic Synthesis and Structural Characterization of Theanderose through Transfructosylation Reaction Catalyzed by Levansucrase from Bacillus subtilis CECT 39

This work addresses the high-yield and fast enzymatic production of theanderose, a naturally occurring carbohydrate, also known as isomaltosucrose, whose chemical structure determined by NMR is α-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-α-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-β-d-fructofuranose. The ability of isomaltose to act as an acceptor in the Bacillus subtilis CECT 39 levansucrase-catalyzed transfructosylation reaction to efficiently produce theanderose in the presence of sucrose as a donor is described by using four different sucrose:isomaltose concentration ratios. The maximum theanderose concentration ranged from 122.4 to 130.4 g L^-1, was obtained after only 1 h and at a moderate temperature (37 °C), leading to high productivity (109.7-130.4 g L^-1h^-1) and yield (up to 37.3%) values. The enzymatic synthesis was highly regiospecific, since no other detectable acceptor reaction products were formed. The development of efficient and cost-effective procedures for the biosynthesis of unexplored but appealing oligosaccharides as potential sweeteners, such as theanderose, could help to expand its potential applications which are currently limited by their low availability.

Potential physiological functions of acceptor products of dextransucrase with cellobiose as an inhibitor of mutansucrase and fungal cell synthase

A series of oligosaccharides (cellobio-oligosaccharides) ranging from degrees of polymer 3 to 6 were synthesized by Leuconostoc mesenteroides B-512 FMCM in the presence of cellobiose. The major oligosaccharides were the trisaccharides, α-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-D-glucopyranose and α-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-D-glucopyranose. These cellobio-oligosaccharides were inhibitory on mutansucrase, an enzyme that causes dental caries. They were also found to be effective antifungal agents against Aspergillus terreus acting by inhibiting β-(1 → 3)-glucan synthase, which is required for fungal cell wall formation.

Oligosaccharide synthesis by dextransucrase: new unconventional acceptors

The acceptor reactions of dextransucrase offer the potential for a targeted synthesis of a wide range of di-, tri- and higher oligosaccharides by the transfer of a glucosyl group from sucrose to the acceptor. We here report on results which show that the synthetic potential of this enzyme is not restricted to 'normal' saccharides. Additionally functionalized saccharides, such as alditols, aldosuloses, sugar acids, alkyl saccharides, and glycals, and rather unconventional saccharides, such as fructose dianhydride, may also act as acceptors. Some of these acceptors even turned out to be relatively efficient: alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->5)-D-arabinonic acid, alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-D-glucitol, alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->6)-D-glucitol, alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->6)-D-mannitol, alpha-D-fructofuranosyl-beta-D-fructofuranosyl-(1,2':2,3')-dianhydride, 1,5-anhydro-2-deoxy-D-arabino-hex-1-enitol ('D-glucal'), and may therefore be of interest for future applications of the dextransucrase acceptor reaction.

Anticaries effect of a component from shiitake (an edible mushroom)

The caries-inhibiting effect of the extract from shiitake (Lentinus edodes), the most popular edible mushroom in Japan, was studied both in vitro and in vivo. Shiitake extract showed an inhibitory effect on water-insoluble glucan formation from sucrose by crude glucosyltransferases of Streptococcus mutans JC-2 and Streptococcus sobrinus OMZ-176. The firmly adherent plaque in the artificial plaque formation test was strongly inhibited by shiitake extract. The reduction of firmly adherent plaque caused an increase in the incidence of non- and loosely adherent plaque and a decrease in total plaque formation. A significantly lower caries score was observed in specific pathogen-free rats infected with S. mutans JC-2 and fed with a cariogenic diet containing 0.25% shiitake extract as compared with controls fed the cariogenic diet without shiitake extract.

A circularly permuted alpha-amylase-type alpha/beta-barrel structure in glucan-synthesizing glucosyltransferases

A motif of amino acid residues, located at the active site and specific beta-strands in alpha-amylases, is recognized in alpha-1,3- and alpha-1,6-glucan-synthesizing glucosyltransferases, leading to the conclusion that these enzymes contain an alpha/beta-barrel closely related to the (beta/alpha)8-fold of the alpha-amylase superfamily. The secondary structure elements of the transferase barrel, however, are circularly permuted to start with an alpha-helix equivalent to helix 3 in the alpha-amylases. Thus, the transferase counterpart of the long third beta-->alpha connection--constituting a domain in the alpha-amylases--is divided to precede and succeed the barrel. This architectural arrangement may be coupled to sucrose scission and glucosyl transfer. The involvement in the mechanism in glucosyltransferases of active site residues recurring in amylolytic enzymes is discussed.

Purification and characterization of a Bacillus sp. SAM1606 thermostable alpha-glucosidase with transglucosylation activity

We purified a novel alpha-glucosidase to homogeneity from an Escherichia coli recombinant transformed with the alpha-glucosidase gene from thermophilic Bacillus sp. SAM1606. The enzyme existed as mono- and multimeric forms of a promoter protein with a relative molecular weight of 64,000 and isoelectric point of 4.6. We isolated a monomeric form of the enzyme and characterized it. The enzyme was unique among the known alpha-glucosidases in both broad substrate specificity and high thermostability. The enzyme hydrolysed a variety of O-alpha-D-glucopyranosides such as nigerose, maltose, isomaltose, sucrose, and trehalose efficiently. The molecular activity (k0) and the Michaelis constant (Km) values at 55 degrees C and pH 6.0 for sucrose were 54.6 s-1 and 5.3 mM, respectively. The optimum pH and temperature for hydrolysis were pH 5.5 and 75 degrees C, respectively. The enzyme exhibited a high transglucosylation activity: it reacted with 1.8 M sucrose at 60 degrees C for 70 h to yield oligosaccharides containing theanderose in a maximum yield of 35% (w/w). High thermostability of the enzyme (stable up to 65 degrees C at pH 7.2 for 10 min) permits the transglucosylation reaction at high temperatures, which would be beneficial for continuous production of oligosaccharides from sucrose.

The crystal and molecular structure of beta-D-fructofuranosyl alpha-D-xylopyranoside hemihydrate

The crystal and molecular structure of beta-D-fructofuranosyl alpha-D-xylopyranoside (xylosucrose) hemihydrate, C11H20O10.0.5H2O, is orthorhombic, P2(1)2(1)2, with a = 20.919(5), b = 18.727(2), c = 7.071(1) A, V = 2770.1(2) A3, Z = 8, and Dx = 1.541 g.cm-3. The structure was solved by direct methods and refined to R = 0.040 for 2564 observed reflections. Two independent xylosucrose molecules exist in the unit cell, and their conformations about the 1-->2' glycosidic bond are similar to sucrose. The orientations of the primary hydroxyl groups in the two molecules differ. An O-1'...O-2 intramolecular hydrogen bond was observed in the one molecule, while an O-6'...O-5 intramolecular hydrogen bond was observed in the other involving disorder of O-6'.

Inhibition by maltose, isomaltose, and nigerose of the synthesis of high-molecular-weight D-glucans by the D-glucosyltransferases of Streptococcus sobrinus

Two D-glucosyltransferases are produced by Streptococcus sobrinus C211. One (GTF-S) catalyzes the conversion of sucrose into soluble alpha-(1----6)-linked alpha-(1----3)-branched D-glucans, and the other (GTF-I), of sucrose into alpha-(1----3)-linked alpha-(1----6)-branched D-glucans. These enzymes were studied by using maltose, isomaltose, and nigerose as inhibitors. Maltose and isomaltose were found to be competitive inhibitors of GTF-S, whereas nigerose has no effect on GTF-S activity. The Ki values for maltose and isomaltose were determined to be 11 and 15mM, respectively. Maltose, isomaltose, and nigerose competitively inhibit GTF-I. The Ki values for these inhibitors were found to be approximately 0.8, 2.5, and 15mM, respectively. The inhibitory properties of each disaccharide are interpreted in terms of conformational comparisons with sucrose.

Synthesis of 4,6-dideoxysucrose, and inhibition studies of Leuconostoc and Streptococcus D-glucansucrases with deoxy and chloro derivatives of sucrose modified at carbon atoms 3, 4, and 6

Starting from sucrose, 2,3,1',3',4',6'-hexa-O-benzoyl-6-deoxy-6-iodosucrose (1) was synthesized. Reaction of 1 with sulfuryl chloride in pyridine gave 2,3,1',3',4',6'-hexa-O-benzoyl-4-chloro-4,6-dideoxy-6-iodogalactosucr ose (2). Compound 2 was treated with tributyltin hydride in toluene in the presence of a radical initiator, alpha, alpha-azobis(isobutanonitrile) (AIBN), to remove iodine and chlorine groups and give hexa-O-benzoyl-4,6-dideoxysucrose. Benzoyl groups were removed by sodium methoxide in methanol to give 4,6-dideoxysucrose. Sucrose was modified at carbon atom 3, carbon atom 4, or carbon atoms 4 and 6, and these analogs were tested as inhibitors of the D-glucansucrases (D-glucosyltransferases) of Streptococcus mutans 6715 and Leuconostoc mesenteroides B-512F. Sucrose analogs used in this study are 4-deoxysucrose and 4-chloro-4-deoxygalactosucrose with S. mutans 6715 D-glucansucrases (GTF-S and GTF-I), and 3-deoxysucrose, 4-deoxysucrose, 4-chloro-4-deoxygalactosucrose, 6-deoxysucrose, and 4,6-dideoxysucrose with L. mesenteroides B-512F D-glucansucrase. The data indicate that 3-deoxysucrose, 4-deoxysucrose, and 4-chloro-4-deoxygalactosucrose are weak noncompetitive inhibitors for B-512F dextransucrase, with Ki values of 530, 201, and 202mM respectively. For the same enzyme, 6-deoxysucrose was a strong competitive inhibitor, with Ki of 1.60mM, and 4,6-dideoxysucrose was a good competitive inhibitor, with Ki of 20.3mM. 4-Deoxysucrose was a weak noncompetitive inhibitor for both GTF-I and GTF-S, with Ki values of 672 and 608mM, respectively. 4-Chloro-4-deoxygalactosucrose was also a weak noncompetitive inhibitor for GTF-I and GTF-S with Ki values of 391 and 308mM, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)