Maltose-trehalose converting enzyme, and preparation and uses thereof
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Hayashibara Seibutsu Kagaku Kenkyujo
InventorsTomoyuki Nishimoto, Hiroto Chaen, Toshiyuki Sugimoto, Toshio Miyake
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Abstract
An enzyme, which has a molecular weight of about 57,000-120,000 daltons on SDS-PAGE and a pI of about 3.8-5.1 on isoelectrophoresis using ampholyte, converts maltose into trehalose and vice versa. The enzyme was isolated from microorganisms of the genera Pimelobacter, Pseudomonas and Thermus. By using the enzyme, trehalose is readily formed from a commercially available maltose in an industrial scale and a relatively-low cost. Trehalose and saccharide compositions containing the same, which are preparable with the enzyme, are suitably used in food products, cosmetic compositions and pharmaceutical compositions.
Claims6
A process for preparing trehalose comprising:
- (a) contacting a maltose solution with an enzyme which converts maltose into trehalose and vice versa to form trehalose, wherein said enzyme has the following physiochemical properties:
- (i) Molecular weight
- About 57,000-120,000 daltons on sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis;
- (ii) Isoelectric point (pI)
- About 3.8-5.1 on isoelectrophoresis using ampholyte;
- and
- (iii) Inhibition of activity
- Inhibited by one mM Cu.sup.+, 50 mM Tris-HCl buffer;
- (b) recovering the resulting solution containing maltose and trehalose;
- (c) contacting said solution with glucoamylase or a mixture of glucoamylase and a-glucosidase to hydrolyze said maltose into glucose.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.