MALTODEXTRIN ACCEPTOR REACTIONS OF STREPTOCOCCUS-MUTANS 6715 GLUCOSYLTRANSFERASES

The maltodextrin (maltose through maltoheptaose) acceptor reactions of two Streptococcus mutans 6715 glucosyltransferases (GTF-1 and GTF-S) were studied. The acceptor product structures were determined by comparing them with the known structures of the acceptor products of Leuconostoc mesenteroides B-512FM dextransucrase (EC 2.4.1.5) and L. mesenteroides B-1355 alternansucrase (EC 2.4.1.140). When reacted with maltose (G2), both GTF-I and GTF-S transferred a D-glucopyranose from sucrose to the nonreducing glucosyl residue to give panose (6(2)-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl maltose). Panose then served as an acceptor to give two further acceptor products, 6(2)-alpha-isomaltosyl maltose and 6(2)-alpha-nigerosyl maltose. 6(2)-alpha-Isomaltosyl maltose then went on to serve as an acceptor to give a series of homologous acceptor products with isomaltodextrin chains attached to C-6 of the nonreducing-end residue of maltose, while 6(2)-alpha-nigerosyl maltose did not further react. When reacted with other maltodextrins (G3-G7), both GTF-I and GTF-S transferred a D-glucopyranose to C-6 of either the nonreducing-end or the reducing-end residues of the maltodextrins, forming alpha(1 --> 6) linkages. When D-glucopyranose was transferred to the nonreducing-end residue by GTF-I or GTF-S, the first product was also an acceptor to give the second product, which then served as an acceptor to give the third product, etc., to give a homologous series of products. When D-glucopyranose was transferred to the reducing-end residue, the acceptor product that formed did not readily serve as an acceptor, or served only as a very poor acceptor, to give a small amount of the next homologue, as was the case for G7 with GTF-S. In addition, GTF-I also transferred D-glucopyranose to the reducing-end or to the nonreducing-end residue of maltotriose, forming alpha(1 --> 3) linkages, to give 3(3)-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl maltotriose and 3(1)-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl maltotriose. Neither of these acceptor products further served as acceptors to give a homologous series. Under equivalent conditions of equimolar amounts of acceptor and sucrose, maltose and maltotriose are much better acceptors with GTF-I than they are with GTF-S, which is better than L. mesenteroides B-512FM dextransucrase. The three enzymes display significantly different efficiencies for the different maltodextrin acceptor reactions, GTF-I and GTF-S having much higher efficiencies than L. mesenteroides B-512FM dextransucrase.