• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.9
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• pp.1544-1549
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• 2008

MhMTS and MhMTH are trehalose ($\alpha$-D-glucopyranosyl-[1,1]-$\alpha$-D-glucopyranose) biosynthesis genes of the thermophilic microorganism Metallosphaera hakonensis, and encode a maltooligosyltrehalose synthase (MhMTS) and a maltooligosyltrehalose trehalohydrolase (MhMTH), respectively. In this study, the two genes were fused in-frame in a recombinant DNA, and expressed in Escherichia coli to produce a bifunctional fusion enzyme, MhMTSH. Similar to the two-step reactions with MhMTS and MhMTH, the fusion enzyme catalyzed the sequential reactions on maltopentaose, maltotriosyltrehalose formation, and following hydrolysis, producing trehalose and maltotriose. Optimum conditions for the fusion enzyme-catalyzed trehalose synthesis were around $70^{\circ}C$ and pH 5.0-6.0. The MhMTSH fusion enzyme exhibited a high degree of thermostability, retaining 80% of the activity when pre-incubated at $70^{\circ}C$ for 48 h. The stability was gradually abolished by incubating the fusion enzyme at above $80^{\circ}C$. The MhMTSH fusion enzyme was active on various sizes of maltooligosaccharides, extending its substrate specificity to soluble starch, the most abundant natural source of trehalose production.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.240-245
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• 2000

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.