Construction of Bifunctional Fusion Enzyme between Maltooligosyltrehalose Synthase and Maltooligosyltrehalose Trehalohydrolase of Sulfolobus acidocaldarius and Overexpression in E. coli

Two genes encoding maltooligosyltrehalose synthase (SaMTS) and maltooligosyltrehalose trehalohydrolase (SaMTH) were isolated from a hyperthermophilic microorganism, Sulfolobus acidocaldarius (ATCC 49462). ORFs of the SaMTS and SaMTH genes are 2,163 and 1,671 bp long and encode 720 and 556 amino acid residues, respectively. A bifunctional fusion enzyme (SaMTSH) was constructed through the gene fusion of SaMTS and SaMTH. Recombinant SaMTS, SaMTH, and SaMTSH fusion enzyme were overexpressed in E. coli BL21. SaMTS and SaMTH produced trehalose and maltotriose from maltopentaose in a sequential reaction. SaMTSH fusion enzyme catalyzed the sequential reaction in which the formation of maltotriosyltrehalose was followed by hydrolysis leading to the synthesis of trehalose and maltotriose. The SaMTSH fusion enzyme showed the highest activity at pH 5.0-5.5 and $70-75^{\circ}C$. SaMTS, SaMTH, and SaMTSH fusion enzyme were active in soluble starch, which resulted in the production of trehalose.