Recent novel applications of levansucrases

Abstract

Levansucrase catalyzes three distinct reactions depending on the fructosyl acceptor molecule, including polymerization, transfructosylation, and hydrolysis. As a key biocatalyst in the synthesis of levan and levan-type fructooligosaccharides, levansucrase has been widely and intensively studied. Due to the promising physiological effects of levan and levan-type fructooligosaccharides, they exhibit great potential in food and pharmaceutical industries. Another important point that attracts much attention is the wide substrate specificity of levansucrase toward monosaccharides, disaccharides, and aromatic and alkyl alcohols, producing diverse sucrose analogues, hetero-oligosaccharides (especially lactosucrose), and interesting fructosides. The present article summarizes and discusses the recent applications of microbial levansucrase in detail.

The Structure of Sucrose-Soaked Levansucrase Crystals from Erwinia tasmaniensis reveals a Binding Pocket for Levanbiose

“…The existence of a wide spectrum of nonconventional fructosyl acceptors explains the biotechnological interest in LSCs. These enzymes can interact with nonconventional fructosyl acceptors and donors [9], such as monosaccharides, disaccharides, and sucrose homologs. For example, LSCs from Pseudomonas syringae pv.…”

A close look on the effect of polyethylene glycol on the levansucrase thermostability: a case study of Brenneria sp. levansucrase

“…Levan has been investigated extensively from Europe to America and to Asia due to its outstanding physicochemical and physiological properties . Levansucrase can exert versatile reactions including transfructosylation, hydrolysis, and polymerization when different fructosyl acceptors and donors are provided . On this basis, lots of attempts have been made to produce desired saccharides such as melibiose, lactosucrose, and raffinose by the transfructosylation activity of levansucrase .…”

“…2 Levansucrase can exert versatile reactions including transfructosylation, hydrolysis, and polymerization when different fructosyl acceptors and donors are provided. 3 On this basis, lots of attempts have been made to produce desired saccharides such as melibiose, lactosucrose, and raffinose by the transfructosylation activity of levansucrase. 4 In terms of potential applications, a good temperature and pH stability is significant for any enzyme.…”

“…A literature review showed that the majority of levansucrases exhibited a high catalytic behaviour at a slight acid condition with the pH varying from 5.5 to 6.5, which lowered the possibility of occurrence of Maillard reactions and could guarantee a further application of levansucrases in food processing. 3 However, most of levansucrases have a relatively low optimal temperature, usually lower than 55 ∘ C for its transfructosylation (Table 1). Worse still, the thermostability of most levansucrase is too weak to be competent for practical application (Table 1).…”

Immobilization of Levansucrase: Strategies and Biotechnological Applications

“…Levansucrase shows three activities: transfructosylation (using monosaccharides, disaccharides or oligosaccharides as acceptors), hydrolysis (using water as acceptor) and polymerization (using the growing fructans as acceptor), releasing fructose, glucose, and synthesizing fructooligosaccharides and levan. These molecules shows relevant applications in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries [6,7,8,9].…”