Structural characterization of bioengineered α-D-glucans produced by mutant glucansucrase GTF180 enzymes of lactobacillus reuteri strain 180

Mutagenesis of specific amino acid residues of the glucansucrase (GTF180) enzyme from Lactobacillus reuteri strain 180 yielded 12 mutant enzymes that produced modified exopolysaccharides (mEPSs) from sucrose. Ethanol-precipitated and purified mEPSs were subjected to linkage analysis, Smith degradation analysis, and 1D/2D ¹H NMR...

Efficient screening methods for glucosyltransferase genes in Lactobacillus strains

Limited information is available about homopolysaccharide synthesis in the genus Lactobacillus. Using efficient screening techniques, extracellular glucosyltransferase (GTF) enzyme activity, resulting in α-glucan synthesis from sucrose, was detected in various lactobacilli. PCR with degenerate primers based on homologous boxes of known...