Streptococcus infantarius 25124 isolated from pozol produces a high molecular weight amylopullulanase, a key enzyme for niche colonization

• Published in: Amylase Vol. 5; no. 1; pp. 1 - 12
• Main Authors: Rodríguez-Saavedra, Carolina, Rodríguez-Sanoja, Romina, Guillén, Daniel, Wacher, Carmen, Díaz-Ruiz, Gloria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: De Gruyter 21.02.2021
• Subjects: amylolytic lactic acid bacteria; fermentation; nixtamalization; starch
• ISSN: 2450-9728; 2450-9728
• DOI: 10.1515/amylase-2021-0001

Pozol is a beverage made with maize dough that is prepared after boiling the kernels in limewater, causing a decrease in soluble sugars, with starch being the main fermentable carbohydrate in the dough. Previously, ssp. 25124 ( -25124) was identified as the most amylolytic bacteria isolated in this product. Analysis of -25124 amylolytic enzymes revealed two amylases, a cytoplasmic α-amylase of 55.7 kDa and an extracellular amylopullulanase of 246.3 kDa, with two catalytic domains, one typical of an α-amylase and another typical of a pullulanase/glycogen debranching enzyme. Characterization of the joint activity of both enzymes using -25124 cell lysate supernatant demonstrated stability between 30 °C and 45°C, and pH stability in a range between 6.8 and 8.0. The joint activity of -25124 amylases showed a fast production of reducing sugars when starch was used as the substrate. In contrast, reducing sugar production from amylopectin was lower, but it steadily increased throughout the reaction time. The amylopullulanase produced by -25124 hydrolyzes the starch in the dough to produce low molecular weight oligosaccharides, which may be transported into -25124 cells, so that intracellular α-amylase hydrolyzes them to mono- and disaccharides. Amylopullulanase production by -25124 could be an example of a specialized enzyme that successfully dominates starchy food fermentation.