LAUSR

Alternansucrase (ALT, EC 2.4.1.140) catalyses the formation of an alternating 〈-1, 3/1, 6-linked glucan, with periodic branch points, from sucrose substrate. Beyond the catalytic domain, this enzyme harbours seven additional C-terminal SH3-like repeats. We herein generated two truncated alternansucrases, possessing deletions of three and seven adjacent SH3 motifs, giving Δ3SHALT and Δ7SHALT. Δ3SHALT and Δ7SHALT exhibited kcat/Km for transglycosylation activity 2.3- and 1.5-fold lower than wild-type ALT (WTALT), while hydrolysis was detected only in the truncated ALTs, oligosaccharide patterns and polymer glycosidic linkage were similar to that of WTALT. The viscosities of ALT polymers increase by ˜100-fold at 15% (w/v), with gel-like states formed at 12.5, 15.0, and 20.0% (w/v) produced by polymer from WTALT, Δ3SHALT, and Δ7SHALT, respectively. The average nanoparticle sizes of Δ3SHALT and Δ7SHALT polymers were 80 nm, compared to 90 nm from WTALT. In conclusion, even relatively subtle differences in the structure of ALT-produced alternan give rise to profound impact on the glucan polymer physicochemical properties.