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Background/Aims: The use of novel cryo-additive agents to increase cell viability post-cryopreservation is paramount to improve future cell based-therapy treatments. We aimed to establish the Human Leukemia (HL-60) cells lipidomic and biological patterns when cryo-preserved in DMSO alone and with 300 µM Nigerose (Nig), 200 µM Salidroside (Sal) or a combination of Nig (150 µM) and Sal (100 µM). Methods: HL-60 cells were pre-incubated with Nig/Sal prior, during and post cryopreservation, and subjected to global lipidomic analysis. Malondialdeyhde (MDA), released lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and reactive oxygen scavenger (ROS) measurements were also carried out to evaluate levels of lipid peroxidation and cytotoxicity. Results: Cryopreserving HL-60 cells in DMSO with Nig and Sal provided optimal protection against unsaturated fatty acid oxidation. Post-thaw, cellular phospholipids and mitochondrial cardiolipins were increased by Nig/Sal as the ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids 2.08 +/- 0.03 and 0.95 +/- 0.09 folds respectively in comparison to cells cryopreserved in DMSO alone (0.49 +/- 0.05 and 0.86 +/- 0.10 folds). HL-60 lipid peroxidation levels in the presence of DMSO + Nig and Sal combined were significantly reduced relative to pre-cryopreservation levels (10.91 +/- 2.13 nmole) compared to DMSO (17.1 +/- 3.96 nmole). DMSO + Nig/Sal combined also significantly reduced cell cytotoxicity post-thaw (0.0128 +/- 0.00182 mU/mL) in comparison to DMSO (0.0164 +/- 0.00126 mU/mL). The combination of Nig/Sal also reduced significantly ROS levels to the levels of prior cryopreservation of HL-60. Conclusion: Overall, the establishment of the cryopreserved HL-60 cells lipidomic and the corresponding biological profiles showed an improved cryo-formulation in the presence of DMSO with the Nig/Sal combination by protecting the, mitochondrial inner membrane, unsaturated fatty acid components (i. e. Cardiolipins) and total phospholipids.

The α-1,3-glucanase from Paenibacillus glycanilyticus FH11 (Agl-FH1), a member of the glycoside hydrolase family 87 (GH87), hydrolyzes α-1,3-glucan with an endo-action. GH87 enzymes are known to degrade dental plaque produced by oral pathogenic Streptococcus species. In this study, the kinetic analyses revealed that this enzyme hydrolyzed α-1,3-tetraglucan into glucose and α-1,3-triglucan with β-configuration at the reducing end by an inverting mechanism. The crystal structures of the catalytic domain (CatAgl-FH1) complexed with or without oligosaccharides at 1.4-2.5 or 1.6 Å resolutions, respectively, are also presented. The initial crystal structure of CatAgl-FH1 was determined by native single-wavelength anomalous diffraction. The catalytic domain was composed of two modules, a β-sandwich fold module, and a right-handed β-helix fold module. The structure of the β-sandwich was similar to those of the carbohydrate-binding module family 35 members. The glycerol or nigerose enzyme complex structures demonstrated that this β-sandwich fold module is a novel carbohydrate-binding module with the capabilities to bind saccharides and to promote the degradation of polysaccharides. The structures of the inactive mutant in complexes with oligosaccharide showed that at least eight subsites for glucose binding were located in the active cleft of the β-helix fold and the architecture of the active cleft was suitable for the recognition and hydrolysis of α-1,3-glucan by the inverting mechanism. The structural similarity to GH28 and GH49 enzymes and the results of site-directed mutagenesis indicated that three Asp residues, Asp1045, Asp1068, and Asp1069, are the most likely candidates for the catalytic residues of Agl-FH1. DATABASE: Structural data are available in RCSB Protein Data Bank under the accession numbers 6K0M (CatAgl-FH1), 6K0N (WT/nigerose), 6K0P (D1045A/nigerose), 6K0Q (D1068A/nigerose), 6K0S (D1069A/ nigerose), 6K0U (D1068A/oligo), and 6K0V (D1069A/oligo). ENZYMES: Agl-FH1, α-1,3-glucanase (EC3.2.1.59) from Paenibacillus glycanilyticus FH11.

Koji amazake, prepared from rice koji, is a traditional Japanese sweet beverage. The main source of sweetness is glucose derived from rice starch following digestion by enzymes of Aspergillus oryzae during saccharification. The temperature of this process was empirically determined as 45°C-60°C, but no studies have systematically investigated the effect of temperature on saccharification efficiency. We addressed this in the present study by evaluating saccharification efficiency at various temperatures. We found that glucose content was the highest at 50°C (100%) and was reduced at temperatures of 40°C (66.4%), 60°C (91.9%), and 70°C (76.6%). We previously reported that 12 types of oligosaccharides are present in koji amazake; the levels of eight of these, namely nigerose, kojibiose, trehalose, isomaltose, gentiobiose, raffinose, panose, and isomaltotriose, were the highest at 50°C-60°C, whereas sophorose production was maximal at 70°C. Based on these findings, we initially performed saccharification at 50°C and then switched the temperature to 70°C. The maximum amount of each saccharide including sophorose that was produced was close to the values obtained at these two temperatures. Thus, oligosaccharide composition of koji amazake is dependent on saccharification temperature. These findings provide useful information for improving the consumer appeal of koji amazake by enhancing oligosaccharide content.

Pyrobaculum arsenaticum is a hyperthermophilic archaeon that thrives at 95°C. This strain encodes a putative GH31 intracellular α-glucosidase (Pars_2044, PyAG) in its genome. The recombinant PyAG (rPyAG) was optimally expressed in Escherichia coli at 37°C for 4 h after IPTG induction. The purified rPyAG is a homotetrameric α-glucosidase that exhibited highly thermostable properties. Maximum p-nitrophenyl-α-D-glucopyranoside (pNPG) hydrolysis activity was observed at 90°C and pH 5.0. The enzyme mainly recognized the non-reducing end of the substrate, releasing the glucose unit. rPyAG also had broad substrate specificity, cleaving maltose (α-1,4-linkage), kojibiose (α-1,2-linkage), and nigerose (α-1,3-linkage) with similar efficiency. Based on these results, rPyAG can be used to modify health-relevant sugar conjugates linked by α-1,2- or α-1,3-bonds.

The actinobacterium Kribbella flavida NBRC 14399(T) produces cyclobis-(1 -> 6)-alpha-nigerosyl (CNN), a cyclic glucotetraose with alternate alpha-(1 -> 6)- and alpha-(1 -> 3)-glucosidic linkages, from starch in the culture medium. We identified gene clusters associated with the production and intracellular catabolism of CNN in the K. flavida genome. One cluster encodes 6-alpha-glucosyl-transferase and 3-alpha-isomaltosyltransferase, which are known to coproduce CNN from starch. The other cluster contains four genes annotated as a transcriptional regulator, sugar transporter, glycoside hydrolase family (GH) 31 protein (Kfla1895), and GH15 protein (Kfla1896). Kfla1895 hydrolyzed the alpha-(1 -> 3)-glucosidic linkages of CNN and produced isomaltose via a possible linear tetrasaccharide. The initial rate of hydrolysis of CNN (11.6 s(-1)) was much higher than that of panose (0.242 s(-1)), and hydrolysis of isomaltotriose and nigerose was extremely low. Because Kfla1895 has a strong preference for the alpha-(1 -> 3)-isomaltosyl moiety and effectively hydrolyzes the alpha-(1 -> 3)-glucosidic linkage, it should be termed 1,3-alpha-isomaltosidase. Kfla1896 effectively hydrolyzed isomaltose with liberation of beta-glucose, but displayed low or no activity toward CNN and the general GH15 enzyme substrates such as maltose, soluble starch, or dextran. The k(cat)/K-m for isomaltose (4.81 +/- 0.18 s(-1) mM(-1)) was 6.9- and 19-fold higher than those for panose and isomaltotriose, respectively. These results indicate that Kfla1896 is a new GH15 enzyme with high substrate specificity for isomaltose, suggesting the enzyme should be designated an isomaltose glucohydrolase. This is the first report to identify a starch-utilization pathway that proceeds via CNN.

The knowledge of carbohydrate composition is greatly important to determine the properties of natural matrices such as foodstuff and food ingredients. However, because of the structural similarity and the multiple isomeric forms of carbohydrates in solution, their analysis is often a complex task. Here we propose an NMR analytical procedure based on highly selective chemical shift filters followed by TOCSY, which allows us to acquire specific background-free signals for each sugar. The method was tested on raw honey samples dissolved in water with no other pretreatment. In total, 22 sugars typically found in honey were quantified: 4 monosaccharides (glucose, fructose, mannose, rhamnose), 11 disaccharides (sucrose, trehalose, turanose, maltose, maltulose, palatinose, melibiose and melezitose, isomaltose, gentiobiose nigerose, and kojibiose), and 7 trisaccharides (raffinose, isomaltotriose, erlose, melezitose, maltotriose, panose, and 1-kestose). Satisfactory results in terms of limit of quantification (0.03-0.4 g/100g honey), precision (% RSD: 0.99-4.03), trueness (bias % 0.4-4.2), and recovery (97-104%) were obtained. An accurate control of the instrumental temperature and of the sample pH endows an optimal chemical shift reproducibility, making the procedure amenable to automation and suitable to routine analysis. While validated on honey, which is one of the most complex natural matrices in terms of saccharides composition, this innovative approach can be easily transferred to other natural matrices.

In the absence of the natural acceptor inorganic phosphate wild-type sucrose phosphorylase from Bifidobacterium adolescentis (BaSP) produces maltose (4-O-α-d-glucopyranosyl-d-glucose) and kojibiose (2-O-α-d-glucopyranosyl-d-glucose) as sole transfer products. A Q345F exchange switches the enzyme's regioselectivity from 2 to 3 exclusively, yielding the rare sugar nigerose (3-O-α-d-glucopyranosyl-d-glucose, sakebiose).

We found an unreported activity of phosphorylase catalyzed by a protein (Cphy1019) belonging to glycoside hydrolase family 65 (GH65) from Clostridium phytofermentans. The recombinant Cphy1019 produced in Escherichia coli did not phosphorolyze α-linked glucobioses, such as trehalose (α1-α1), kojibiose (α1-2), nigerose (α1-3), and maltose (α1-4), which are typical substrates for GH65 enzymes. In reverse phosphorolysis, Cphy1019 utilized only l-rhamnose as the acceptor among various sugars examined with β-d-glucose 1-phosphate as the donor. The reaction product was determined to be 3-O-α-d-glucopyranosyl-l-rhamnose, indicating strict α1-3 regioselectivity. We propose 3-O-α-d-glucopyranosyl-l-rhamnose: phosphate β-d-glucosyltransferase as the systematic name and 3-O-α-d-glucopyranosyl-l-rhamnose phosphorylase as the short name for this novel GH65 phosphorylase.

The gene (Ta0298) encoding a putative α-glucosidase from hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermoplasma acidophilum (AglA) was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Gel filtration chromatography of the purified enzyme indicated that the native form was a pentamer with strong maltose (α-1,4 linkage)-hydrolyzing activity. AglA was optimally active at pH 5–6 and 80 °C and had a half-life of 16.8 h and 1.4 h at 80 °C and 85 °C, respectively. The enzyme also hydrolyzes kojibiose (α-1,2), nigerose (α-1,3), and isomaltose (α-1,6) to a lesser extent. Analysis of the reaction with maltooligosaccharides and panose as substrates show that AglA specifically liberates glucose from the non-reducing end indicating that it is typical of a glycoside hydrolase family 31 (GH31) α-glucosidase. Kinetic analyses revealed that the hydrolytic activity of AglA was greatly affected by the chain length of the substrate and the regiospecificity of the glucosidic linkages. The enzyme showed highest specificity for maltose and decreasing values of catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) toward higher maltooligosaccahrides, although these still serve as substrates. The inhibition profile of AglA toward aesculin was revealed to be a mixed type of noncompetitive inhibition with a Ki value of 4.30 μM and K ′ i of 12.5 μM, whereas that toward acarbose showed a competitive inhibition pattern with a Ki of 2.99 μM. Structural analyses of two arbutin transglucosylation products using NMR indicated that the glucose unit of maltose was transferred to the C-3 and C-6 position in the glucose moiety of arbutin.

The endoplasmic reticulum malectin is a highly conserved protein in the animal kingdom that has no counterpart so far in lower organisms. We recently determined the structure of its conserved domain and found a highly selective binding to Glc(2)Man(9)GlcNAc(2), an intermediate of N-glycosylation. In our quest for putative ligands during the initial characterization of the protein, we noticed that the malectin domain is highly specific for diglucosides but quite tolerant towards the linkage of the glucosidic bond. To understand the molecular requirements for the observed promiscuity of the malectin domain, here we analyze the binding to a range of diglucosides through comparison of the protein chemical shift perturbation patterns and the saturation transfer difference spectra of the ligands including two maltose-mimicking drugs. A comparison of the maltose-bound structure of the malectin domain with the complex of the native ligand nigerose reveals why malectin is able to tolerate such a diversity of ligands.

Trehalose synthase (TreS) catalyzes the reversible interconversion of trehalose (glucosyl-alpha,alpha-1,1-glucose) and maltose (glucosyl-alpha1-4-glucose). TreS was purified from the cytosol of Mycobacterium smegmatis to give a single protein band on SDS gels with a molecular mass of approximately 68 kDa. However, active enzyme exhibited a molecular mass of approximately 390 kDa by gel filtration suggesting that TreS is a hexamer of six identical subunits. Based on amino acid compositions of several peptides, the treS gene was identified in the M. smegmatis genome sequence, and was cloned and expressed in active form in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein was synthesized with a (His)(6) tag at the amino terminus. The interconversion of trehalose and maltose by the purified TreS was studied at various concentrations of maltose or trehalose. At a maltose concentration of 0.5 mm, an equilibrium mixture containing equal amounts of trehalose and maltose (42-45% of each) was reached during an incubation of about 6 h, whereas at 2 mm maltose, it took about 22 h to reach the same equilibrium. However, when trehalose was the substrate at either 0.5 or 2 mm, only about 30% of the trehalose was converted to maltose in >or= 12 h, indicating that maltose is the preferred substrate. These incubations also produced up to 8-10% free glucose. The K(m) for maltose was approximately 10 mm, whereas for trehalose it was approximately 90 mm. While beta,beta-trehalose, isomaltose (alpha1,6-glucose disaccharide), kojibiose (alpha1,2) or cellobiose (beta1,4) were not substrates for TreS, nigerose (alpha1,3-glucose disaccharide) and alpha,beta-trehalose were utilized at 20 and 15%, respectively, as compared to maltose. The enzyme has a pH optimum of about 7 and is inhibited in a competitive manner by Tris buffer. [(3)H]Trehalose is converted to [(3)H]maltose even in the presence of a 100-fold or more excess of unlabeled maltose, and [(14)C]maltose produces [(14)C]trehalose in excess unlabeled trehalose, suggesting the possibility of separate binding sites for maltose and trehalose. The catalytic mechanism may involve scission of the incoming disaccharide and transfer of a glucose to an enzyme-bound glucose, as [(3)H]glucose incubated with TreS and either unlabeled maltose or trehalose results in formation of [(3)H]disaccharide. TreS also catalyzes production of a glucosamine disaccharide from maltose and glucosamine, suggesting that this enzyme may be valuable in carbohydrate synthetic chemistry.

The proteins encoded in the yicI and yihQ gene of Escherichia coli have similarities in the amino acid sequences to glycoside hydrolase family 31 enzymes, but they have not been detected as the active enzymes. The functions of the two proteins have been first clarified in this study. Recombinant YicI and YihQ produced in E. coli were purified and characterized. YicI has the activity of alpha-xylosidase. YicI existing as a hexamer shows optimal pH at 7.0 and is stable in the pH range of 4.7-10.1 with incubation for 24h at 4 degrees C and also is stable up to 47 degrees C with incubation for 15 min. The enzyme shows higher activity against alpha-xylosyl fluoride, isoprimeverose (6-O-alpha-xylopyranosyl-glucopyranose), and alpha-xyloside in xyloglucan oligosaccharides. The alpha-xylosidase catalyzes the transfer of alpha-xylosyl residue from alpha-xyloside to xylose, glucose, mannose, fructose, maltose, isomaltose, nigerose, kojibiose, sucrose, and trehalose. YihQ exhibits the hydrolysis activity against alpha-glucosyl fluoride, and so is an alpha-glucosidase, although the natural substrates, such as alpha-glucobioses, are scarcely hydrolyzed. alpha-Glucosidase has been found for the first time in E. coli.

alpha-Glucosidase with a high regioselectivity for alpha-1,3-glucosidic linkages for hydrolysis and transglucosylation was purified from culture broth of Acremonium implicatum. The enzyme was a tetrameric protein (M.W. 440,000), of which the monomer (M.W. 103,000; monomeric structure was expected from cDNA sequence) was composed of two polypeptides (M.W. 51,000 and 60,000) formed possibly by posttranslational proteolysis. Nigerose and maltose were hydrolyzed by the enzyme rapidly, but slowly for kojibiose. The k(0)/K(m) value for nigerose was 2.5-fold higher than that of maltose. Isomaltose was cleaved slightly, and sucrose was not. Maltotriose, maltotetraose, p-nitrophenyl alpha-maltoside and soluble starch were good substrates. The enzyme showed high affinity for maltooligosaccharides and p-nitrophenyl alpha-maltoside. The enzyme had the alpha-1,3- and alpha-1,4-glucosyl transfer activities to synthesize oligosaccharides, but no ability to form alpha-1,2- and alpha-1,6-glucosidic linkages. Ability for the formation of alpha-1,3-glucosidic linkage was two to three times higher than that for alpha-1,4-glucosidic linkage. Eight kinds of transglucosylation products were synthesized from maltose, in which 3(2)-O-alpha-nigerosyl-maltose and 3(2)-O-alpha-maltosyl-maltose were novel saccharides.

A fungus producing an alpha-glucosidase that synthesizes alpha-1,3- and alpha-1,2-linked glucooligosaccharides by transglucosylation was isolated and identified as Paecilomyces lilacinus. The cell-bound enzyme responsible for the synthesis was extracted by suspension of mycelia with 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH 8.0), and the extract was purified. The molecular weight and the isoelectric point were estimated to be 54,000 and 9.1, respectively. The enzyme was most active at pH 5.0 and 65 degres C. The enzyme hydrolyzed maltose, nigerose, and kojibiose. The enzyme also hydrolyzed soluble starch and amylose with the rate toward maltose. p-Nitro-phenyl alpha-glucoside and isomaltose were not good substrates. The enzyme had high transglucosylation activity to synthesize oligosaccharides containing alpha-1,3- and alpha-1,2-linkages. At an early stage of the reaction, considerable maltotriose, 4-O-alpha-nigerosyl-D-glucose, and 4-O-alpha-kojibiosyl-D-glucose were synthesized. Afterwards, nigerose and kojibiose were accumulated gradually with glucose as an acceptor.

Two neutral disaccharides, gentiobiose [beta- D-Glc p-(1--6)- D-Glc] and nigerose [alpha- D-Glc p-(1--3)- D-Glc], were detected in tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) pericarp and locule. Gentiobiose was present in the locule of green fruit and ripe fruit at 0.88 and 5.8 micro mol (kg fresh weight)(-1), respectively. When vacuum-infiltrated into green tomato fruit, exogenous gentiobiose (50 or 200 micro g per fruit) hastened the initiation of ripening (as judged by colour change) by 1-3 days relative to fruit that were infiltrated with glucose or isomaltose. Nigerose plus gentiobiose was particularly effective, but nigerose alone had no significant effect. The endogenous disaccharides were found to be present in the apoplastic fluid of the fruit, compatible with a proposed intercellular signalling role. The origin and metabolic fate of the disaccharides were investigated. Phenolic esters of these disaccharides were not detectable in tomato fruit and it is therefore unlikely that the free disaccharides were formed from a pool of such esters. An alternative possible biosynthetic origin, via transglycosylation, is discussed. When [(14)C]gentiobiose was vacuum-infiltrated into unripe or ripe fruit, the disaccharide remained intact for at least 1 h but was largely degraded within 24 h. The results suggest that gentiobiose is a new, naturally occurring oligosaccharin with a rapid turnover rate.

Endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase from Arthrobacter protophormiae (Endo-A) has transglycosylation activity, and high-mannose-type oligosaccharides are transferred to suitable glycosides as acceptor substrates. The acceptor specificity of Endo-A-catalyzed transglycosylation toward various disaccharides was investigated. To identify an effective acceptor for the transglycosylation by Endo-A, the reaction was carried out using various disaccharides. Endo-A transferred high-mannose-type oligosaccharides more efficiently to beta-linked disaccharides (cellobiose, gentiobiose, sophorose, and laminaribiose) than to alpha-linked disaccharides (isomaltose, maltose, nigerose, kojibiose, and trehalose) as acceptor substrates. The transglycosylation products, (Man)6GlcNAc-Glc-beta-Glc, were more rapidly hydrolyzed than (Man)6GlcNAc-Glc-alpha-Glc. These results indicate that Endo-A recognizes the anomeric configuration of the acceptor substrates, and beta-linked glycosides are suitable for the synthesis of transglycosylation products.

The saccharide profiles of S different botanical species in 86 Italian honey samples were investigated by H-1 and H-1-C-13 NMR spectroscopy. Nineteen saccharides were identified in the aqueous extracts, namely, fructose, glucose, gentiobiose, isomaltose, kojibiose, maltose, maltulose, melibiose, nigerose, palatinose, sucrose, turanose, erlose, isomaltotriose, kestose, maltotriose, melezitose, raffinose, and maltotetraose. PCA performed on NMR spectral regions, in particular between 4.400 and 5.700 ppm and the fructose signal at 4.050 ppm, revealed a partial sample grouping. The score contribution plots derived from PCA performed using the mean values for the buckets of the anomeric region for each floral source allowed the identification of saccharides characterizing different honeys. OPLS-DA models were further evaluated to confirm the previous findings. OPLS-DA models were also built to highlight differences between polyfloral and high mountain polyfloral honeys and between high mountain polyfloral and rhododendron honeys, both collected at high altitude; S-plots highlighted the characteristic saccharides

The substrate specificity of rabbit liver acid alpha-glucosidase was investigated. The enzyme showed a wide specificity for various substrates, and hydrolyzed alpha-glucans such as glycogen and soluble starch. The k0 values (s-1) for maltose, kojibiose, nigerose, isomaltose, phenyl alpha-glucoside, panose, phenyl alpha-maltoside, soluble starch, beta-limit dextrin, amylopectin, shellfish glycogen, and rabbit liver glycogen were estimated to be 94.8, 18.8, 143, 3.6, 11.8, 27.8, 115, 99.2, 155, 83.5, 126, and 108, and the Km values (concentration of non-reducing terminal) for these substrates were 2.1, 1.8, 7.5, 36, 5.4, 1.9, 1.2, 0.90, 9.1, 1.0, 16, and 13 mM, respectively. Isomaltose and phenyl alpha-glucoside were unfavorable as substrates. The acid alpha-glucosidase is characterized by a relatively high activity toward glycogen. The k0 values (s-1) for maltotriose, -tetraose, -pentaose, -hexaose, -heptaose, and -octaose, and maltodextrin (n = 17) were 140, 140, 131, 132, 134, 132, and 74.3, and the Km values, 2.1, 1.8, 1.9, 3.4, 5.0, 4.9, 4.9 and 2.6 mM, respectively. Based on the rate parameters for the series of maltooligosaccharides, the subsite affinities (Ais) in the active site were evaluated as 0.54 (A1), 5.34 (A2), and 0.34 (A3) kcal/mol for subsites 1, 2, and 3, respectively. These three subsites were considered to be predominantly responsible for the binding of substrates to the active site.

The Glcalpha(1--3)Glcalpha(1--3)Manalpha(1--2)Man tetrasaccharide (Glc(2)Man(2)-fragment), a substructure of the natural N-glycan precursor, was synthesized. The interaction of this fragment with the protein malectin, a carbohydrate binding protein localized in the endoplasmatic reticulum, was investigated by (1)H(15)N HSQC experiments and isothermal calorimetry. The chemical shift perturbations of nuclei in the protein's backbone caused by the binding of the Glc(2)Man(2)-fragment to malectin suggest a binding mode like the known ligand nigerose.

Piricularia oryzae, the pathogenic fungus of rice blast disease, produced a glucoamylase as a sole amylolytic enzyme with little concomitant activity of other related enzymes. The purified enzyme preparation showed a single band on electrophoresis. The enzyme had optimum pH at 6.5 and optimum temperature between 50 and 55°C. It was completely inactivated by heating for 15 min at 60°C. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated as about 94,000. The enzyme hydrolyzed various kinds of amylaceous substrates and some malto-oligosaccharides into glucose. Glucobioses such as isomaltose, nigerose, kojibiose, α,α-trehalose, β,β-trehalose as well as phenyl-α-glucoside were also hydrolyzed.

Near-homogeneous forms of glucoamylases I and II, previously purified from an industrial Aspergillus niger preparation, were incubated with D-glucose at a number of temperatures and pH values. Kinetics and equilibria of the formation of alpha,beta-trehalose, kojibiose, nigerose, maltose, isomaltose, panose, and isomaltotriose, which with isomaltotetraose were the only products formed, were determined. There was no difference in the abilities of GA I and GA II to form these products. Activation energies for the formation of maltose and panose were lower than those of the other Oligosaccharides. Relative rates of oligosaccharide production based on glucoamylase hydrolytic activity did not vary significantly between pH 3.5 and 4.5 but were lower at pH 5.5. Maltose was formed much faster than any other product. Equilibrium concentrations at higher dissolved solids concentrations decreased in the order isomaltose, isomaltotriose, kojibiose, nigerose, maltose, alpha, beta-Mrehalose, panose, and isomaltotetraose. They were not appreciably affected by changes in temperature or pH. A kinetic model based on adsorption of D-glucose and the seven di- and trisaccharides by the first three glucoamylase subsites was formulated. Oligosaccharide formation was simulated with the model, using equilibrium data gathered for this article and subsite binding energies and kinetic parameters for oligosaccharide hydrolysis measured earlier. Agreement of simulated and actual oligosaccharide formation data through the course of the reaction was excellent except at very high solid concentrations.

Dextran B1355 induces separate IgM responses in mice against its α(l3) and a(l6)-linked glucosyl linkages. The maximum injectable dose (10 mg) produces α(l3) immunity and α(l6) tolerance in the BALB/c strain. The same amount will tolerize the CBA strain for both epitopes, whereas 1 mg will produce α(l3) tolerance and α(l6) immunity. The converse dissociation in these strains between tolerance and immunity to the two intrinsic epitopes of dextran B1355 seems, in the face of the corresponding minimum immunogenic doses, incompatible with B cell tolerance mechanisms invoking either an excess of “one nonspecific signal” or lack of a “second signal”. A basis was sought for the exceptional resistance of BALB/c mice to α(l3) tolerization, for dextran B1355 behaved like a typical polysaccharide antigen in the CBA strain. The induction time for α(l3) tolerance in CBA was even shorter (

Near-homogeneous forms of glucoamylases I and II, previously purified from an industrial Aspergillus niger preparation, were used to hydrolyze a number of di- and trisaccharides linked by alpha-D-glucosidic bonds. Maximum rates and Michaelis constants were obtained at various temperatures and pH values with glucoamylase I for the disaccharides beta,alpha-trehalose, kojibiose, nigerose, maltose, and isomaltose and the trisaccharides panose and iso-maltotriose, and with glucoamylase II for maltose, maltotriose, and isomaltotriose. Maximum rates were highest and energies of activation were lowest for maltose, maltotriose, and panose, the only three substrates containing alpha-D-(1, 4)-glucosidic bonds. Michaelis constants were lowest and standard heats of binding were most negative for maltose and maltotriose. The variation of maximum rates and Michaelis constants with varying pH values suggested that two carboxyl groups were involved in substrate binding.

SUMMARY This paper describes separation and identification of oligosaccharides in caramel made by heating glucose at 150°C without a catalyst. Kojibiose, sophorose, nigerose, laminaribiose, maltose, cellobiose, isomaltose, gentiobiose, and 1,6-anhydroglucose were isolated, and identified as their crystalline β-acetates from the pyrolysate of glucose. Trehalose, isomaltotriose, and panose were tentatively identified by paper chromatography and paper ionophoresis.

Chemical syntheses of six α-linked disaccharides are described, namely, 6-O-(α-D-glucopyranosyl)-D-galactose (1), 6-O-(α-D-galactopyranosyl)-D-galactose (2), 6-O-(α-D-talopyranosyl)-D-galactose (3), 3-O-(α-D-glucopyranosyl)-D-glucose (nigerose) (4), 3-O-(α-D-galactopyranosyl)-D-glucose (5), and 3-O-(α-D-talopyranosyl)-D-glucose (6).