• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.230-235
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• 2003

A 1.25 kb DNA fragment including the lscR gene, which encodes a levansucrase of Rahnella aquatilis ATCC 15552, was subcloned into a high-expression vector, pET-29b, and the recombinant enzyme was overexpressed in Escherichia coli. Most of the levansucrase activity was detected in the cytoplasmic fraction after induction with isopropyl ${\beta}-D-thiogalactoside$. The recombinant enzyme with a tag of six histidine residues at the C-terminus was purified 146-fold by affinity and gel-filtration chromatographies. The molecular mass of the purified LscR was approx. 49 kDa as determined by SDS-PAGE. The optimum pH and temperature of this enzyme for levan formation was pH 6.0 and $30^{\circ}C$, respectively. The optimum substrate concentration for levan formation was 300 mM sucrose. Levan formation was increased by the increase of the enzyme concentrations. Maxium yield of levan formation at optimum substrate concentration, pH, and temperature after 24 h of reaction was approximately 80%.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.213-218
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• 1999

Fructans are polyfructose molecules that function as nonstructural storage carbohydrates in several plants. In addition, it has been suggested that, due to their solubility, they can play an important role in helping plants survive periods of osmotic stress. In order to study the effect of levan synthesis on plant growth, the coding region of the levansucrase gene, which was isolated from Zymomonas mobilis, was introduced into tobacco plants using Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. The presence of the levansucrase gene in transgenic plants was verified by genomic DNA gel blot analysis. RNA gel blot and immunoblot analyses showed an accumulation of the corresponding transcript and protein product of the bacterial levansucrase gene in transgenic plants. Furthermore, a thin layer chromatography analysis revealed that fructans were synthesized and deposited in transgenic tobacco plants. When $T_1$ seeds were germinated and grown under polyethylene glycol-mediated drought stress or cold stress, the transgenic seedlings displayed a substantially higher level of growth than that of untransformed plants. These results suggest that fructans may playa significant role in the tolerance of plants under osmotic stress.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.102-108
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• 2006

The IscA gene, encoding a levansucrase of 424 amino acids (aa) residues, was cloned from the genomic DNA of Pseudomonas aurantiaca S-4380, and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant levansucrase overexpressed in E. coli was then used to produce levan from sucrose. Levan crystals with 98% purity could be obtained from the reaction mixture with $62\%$ yield using an alcohol precipitation method. The molecular weight of the levan was $7\times10^5$ daltons. Methylation studies showed that the levan was branched: main linkage C-2,6; branched linkage C-2,1; and degree of branching $6\%$. Three bacterial levans from different strains were incubated with levan fructotransferase (LFTase) from Arthrobacter ureafaciens K2032, which produced $di-\beta-D-fructofuranose$ dianhydride IV (DFA IV); final conversion yields from the levans to DFA IV were $39\%$ in Zymomonas mobilis, $53\%$ in Serratia levanicum, and $59\%$ in P. aurantiaca S-4380 levansucrase. The levan from P. aurantiaca S-4380 levansucrase gave the highest conversion yield of levan to DFAIV so far reported.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.1153-1160
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• 2009

Lactosucrose ($4^G-\beta$-D-galactosylsucrose) is an oligosaccharide consisting of galactose, glucose, and fructose. In this study, we prepared lactosucrose from lactose and sucrose using a levansucrase derived from Zymomonas mobilis. Optimum conditions for lactosucrose formation were $23^{\circ}C$, pH 7.0, 18.0% (w/v) lactose monohydrate, and 18% (w/v) sucrose as substrates, and 1 unit of enzyme/ml of reaction mixture. Under these conditions, the lactosucrose conversion efficiency was 28.5%. The product was purified and confirmed to be O-$\beta$-D-galactopyranosyl-($1{\rightarrow}4$)-O-$\beta$)-D-glucopyranosyl-($1{\rightarrow}2$)-$\beta$-D-fructofuranoside, or lactosucrose. A mixed-enzyme system containing a levansucrase and a glucose oxidase was applied in order to increase the efficiency of lactose and sucrose conversion to lactosucrose, which rose to 43.2% as a result.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.99-104
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• 2005

Microbacterium laevaniformans levansucrase synthesized various hetero-oligosaccharides by transferring fructosyl residue from sucrose to various saccharides as acceptors. The acceptor specificity test showed that reducing saccharides were more favorable acceptors than nonreducing saccharides. The transfructosylated product, fructosyl galactose, was produced in the presence of D-galactose as an acceptor. The chemical structure of the resulting fructosyl galactose was analyzed by yeast invertase and NMR, and identified as O-$\alpha$-D-galactosyl-(1${\to}$2)-$\beta$-D-fructofuranoside. These results indicate that the main transfructosylation activity of the enzyme is to make nonreducing transferred products via a transfer of fructosyl residue to acceptor molecules having reducing group. When nonreducing sugars, such as methyl $\alpha$-D-glucoside and methyl $\alpha$-D-galactoside, were used as an acceptor, the transfer product was also formed in spite of the reducing group blocked with methyl group. The fact that no transfer product was formed with sugar alcohols as acceptors was suggested to be due to marked conformational difference of acceptors.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.339-344
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• 2004

A method for synthesizing branched fructo-oligosaccharides (BFOS) with a high concentration of sucrose ($1{\~}3$ M) was developed using levansucrase prepared from Leuconortoc mesenteroides B-1355C. The degree of polymerization of oligosaccharides synthesized according to the present method ranged from 2 to over 15. The synthesized BFOS were stable at a pH ranges of 2 to 4 under $120^{\circ}C$. The percentage of BFOS in the reaction digest was $95.7\%$ (excluding monosaccharides; $4.3\%$ was levan). BFOS reduced the insoluble glucan formation by Streptococcus sobrinus on the surfaces of glass vials or stainless steel wires in the presence of sucrose. They also reduced the growth and acid productions of S, sobrinus. Oligosaccharides can be used as sweeteners for foods such as beverages requiring thermo- and acid-stable properties and 3s potential inhibitors of dental caries.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.568-568
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• 2003

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Life Science Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.120-120
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• 2003

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.184-185
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• 2003

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Life Science Conference
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• 2002.09a
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• pp.83-83
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• 2002