Purification of a novel fructosyltransferase from Lactobacillus reuteri strain 121 and characterization of the levan produced

• Published in: FEMS microbiology letters Vol. 205; no. 2; pp. 323 - 328
• Main Authors: van Hijum, Sacha A.F.T., Bonting, Kees, van der Maarel, Marc J.E.C., Dijkhuizen, Lubbert
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier B.V 18.12.2001; Blackwell
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; enzymes; Fructans - biosynthesis; Fructans - chemistry; Fructans - metabolism; fructosyltransferase; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetics; Gram-positive bacteria; Hexosyltransferases - chemistry; Hexosyltransferases - isolation & purification; Hexosyltransferases - metabolism; Lactobacillus - enzymology; Lactobacillus reuteri; Levan; Levansucrase; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Metabolism. Enzymes; Microbiology; Molecular Sequence Data; Molecular Weight; Polysaccharides, Bacterial - biosynthesis; Polysaccharides, Bacterial - metabolism; screening; Sequence Alignment; sucrose; Sucrose - metabolism; Levan; Levansucrase; Lactobacillus reuteri; Purification; Incubation; Sucrose; Enzyme; First record; Identification; Strain; Characterization; Screening; Gram positive bacteria; Fructosan; Bacteria; Lactobacillaceae; Polysaccharide; Lactobacillus
• ISSN: 0378-1097; 1574-6968
• DOI: 10.1016/S0378-1097(01)00490-6

Fructosyltransferase (FTF) enzymes have been characterized from various Gram-positive bacteria, but not from Lactobacillus sp. In a screening of 182 lactobacilli for polysaccharide production only one strain, Lactobacillus reuteri strain 121, was found to produce a fructan being a levan. Here we report the first-time identification and biochemical characterization of a Lactobacillus FTF enzyme. When incubated with sucrose the enzyme produced a levan that is identical to that produced by Lb. reuteri strain 121 cells.