Purification and some properties of β-transglucosylases of sclerotinia libertiana, having the ability to synthesize higher cello-oligosaccharides from cellotriose or cellotetraose

Abstract

Two specific transglucosylases were extracted from the culture of Sclerotinia libertiana. The enzymes were separated from cellulases and cellobiases. Each of the enzymes moved as a single band in poly(acrylamide)-gel electrophoresis. The molecular weights of the enzymes were estimated to be 188,000 by electrophoresis, and 165,000 and 175,000, respectively, by chromatography on Bio Gel P-200. The optimum pH of the reaction mediated by the enzymes was 5.0. The enzymes synthesized a tetrasaccharide from cellotriose and a pentasaccharide from cellotetraose, without production of d-glucose; they also synthesized larger oligosaccharides, in a long-term action, from either substrate.