1,4-α-Glucan branching enzyme (GBE, EC 2.4.1.18) is used to increase the number of α-1,6 branch points in starch and glycogen. On the basis of a multiple sequence alignment of the GBEs from a variety of bacteria, residue 349 (Geobacillus thermoglucosidans STB02 numbering) in region III is generally methionine in bacteria with higher identity, while it is threonine or serine in bacteria with lower identity. Four mutants (M349T, M349S, M349H, and M349Y) were constructed by site-directed mutagenesis and characterized. M349T and M349S showed 24.5% and 21.1% increases in specific activity compared with that of wild-type GBE, respectively. In addition, M349T and M349S displayed 24.2% and 17.6% enhancements in the α-1,6-glycosidic linkage ratio of potato starch samples, respectively. However, M349Y displayed a significant reduction in activity. Moreover, the mutations at M349 have a negligible effect on substrate specificity. Thus, M349T and M349S are more suitable for industrial applications than wild-type GBE.Keywords: 1,4-α-glucan branching enzyme; enzyme activity; Met349; mutation; starch;

As member of glycosyl hydrolase family 13, maltooligosaccharide-forming amylases (MFAses) are specific and interesting because of their capacity to hydrolyze starch into functional maltooligosaccharides, which are usually composed of 2–10 α-d-glucopyranosyl units linked by α-1,4 glycosidic linkages. MFAses have been extensively studied during recent decades, and have shown promise in various industrial applications. This review begins by introducing the potential uses of maltooligosaccharides. Then it describes the progress in the identification, assay, action pattern, structure, and modification of MFAses. The review continues with tips concerning the preparation of MFAses, which aim to improve MFAse production to meet the needs of industry. Finally, the industrial uses of MFAses are described, focusing on the production of maltooligosaccharides and application in the bread industry. Recent progress has demonstrated that the MFAses are poised to become important industrial catalysts.

•GBE treatment decreased the storage modulus of corn starch during the storage.•GBE treatment decreased the retrogradation enthalpy of corn starch during the storage.•GBE treatment led to a decrease in hydrogen bonds within the starch.•GBE treatment inhibited the short- and long-term retrogradation of corn starch.The retrogradation behavior of corn starch treated with 1,4-α-glucan branching enzyme (GBE) was investigated using rheometry, pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance (PNMR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Dynamic time sweep analysis confirmed that the storage modulus (G′) of corn starch stored at 4 °C decreased with increasing GBE treatment time. PNMR analysis demonstrated that the transverse relaxation times (T2) of corn starches treated with GBE were higher than that of control during the storage at 4 °C. DSC results demonstrated that the retrogradation enthalpy (ΔHr) of corn starch was reduced by 22.3% after GBE treatment for 10 h. Avrami equation analysis showed that GBE treatment reduced the rate of starch retrogradation. FTIR analysis revealed that GBE treatment led to a decrease in hydrogen bonds within the starch. Overall, these results demonstrate that both short- and long-term retrogradation of corn starch were retarded by GBE treatment.

•PEG 400 enhances the activity of β-cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase by 20%.•PEG 1000 prolongs the half-life of this enzyme at 60 °C by 6.5-fold.•Fluorescence spectroscopy shows that PEGs protect tertiary structure.•Circular dichroism shows that PEGs protect secondary structure.We investigated the ability of six polyethylene glycols (PEGs), with molecular weights ranging from 400 to 20,000 Da, to enhance the thermostability of β-cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (β-CGTase) from Bacillus circulans. We found that PEGs with different molecular weights could activate and stabilize this β-CGTase, but to different degrees. The most significant increase (about 20%) in β-cyclodextrin-forming activity was achieved by adding 10–15% PEG 400. PEGs with low molecular weights also significantly enhanced the thermostability of β-CGTase; 15% PEG 1000 prolonged its half-life at 60 °C by 6.5-fold, compared to a control. Fluorescence spectroscopy and circular dichroism analysis indicated that PEGs helped protect the tertiary and secondary structure of β-CGTase, respectively. This study provides an effective approach for improving the thermostability of CGTases and related enzymes.

A major disadvantage of cyclodextrin production is the limited thermostability of cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase. The ability of combinations of nanosilica sol with polyethylene glycol (PEG) 1000 to enhance the thermostability of the β-cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase from Bacillus circulans was investigated. It was found that 10% PEG 1000 combined with 0.05% nanosilica sol could activate the β-cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase by 17.2%. Furthermore, 0.05% nanosilica sol leads to further increase in PEG 1000-enhanced thermostability of β-cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase. With the simultaneous addition of 10% PEG 1000 and 0.05% nanosilica into the enzyme solution, which was allowed to incubate for 60 min at 60 °C, 61.3% of β-cyclodextrin-forming activity could be retained, which was much higher than that with only 10% PEG 1000 added. Atomic force microscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and circular dichroism analysis indicated that silica nanoparticles helped PEG 1000 further protect the tertiary and secondary structures of β-cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase. This study provides an effective approach for improving the thermostability of cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase and related enzymes.

Cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.19, CGTase) is used to produce cyclodextrins, which are cyclic glucans with many industrial applications. In the present study, the effects of the amino acid residue at position 577, which is located in calcium-binding site III (CaIII), on cyclization activity and cyclodextrin production were investigated by replacing Asp577 in CGTase from Bacillus circulans STB01 with glutamate, arginine, lysine, and histidine. The results showed that mutations D577E and D577R significantly increased the β-cyclization activity. The D577R mutant, in particular, displayed a 30.7% increase in the β-cyclization activity when compared to the wild-type CGTase. Furthermore, under conditions resembling industrial production processes, the D577R and D577E mutants displayed 9.1 and 2.0% enhancement in β-cyclodextrin production, respectively. More importantly, the higher β-cyclization activities resulted in a significant reduction in the amount of mutant protein required during the process. Thus, the two mutants were much more suitable for the industrial production of β-cyclodextrin than the wild-type enzyme.

In the study, we investigated the contribution of Ca2+ to the thermostability of α-cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (α-CGTase) from Paenibacillus macerans, which has two calcium-binding sites (CaI and CaII), and β-CGTase from Bacillus circulans, which contains an additional calcium-binding site (CaIII), consisting of Ala315 and Asp577. It was found that the contribution of Ca2+ to the thermostability of two CGTases displayed a marked difference. Ca2+ affected β-CGTase thermostability significantly. After Ca2+ was added to β-CGTase solution to a final concentration of 5 mM followed by incubation for 120 min at 60 °C, residual activity of β-CGTase was 88.3%, which was much higher than that without Ca2+. However, Ca2+ had a small contribution to α-CGTase thermostability. Furthermore, A315D and D577K mutations at CaIII could significantly change the contribution of Ca2+ to β-CGTase thermostability. These results suggested that the contribution of Ca2+ to CGTase thermostability was closely related to CaIII.

•Lentinus edodes β-glucans can reduce the rate of starch digestion in vitro.•The pasting temperature and enthalpy rose with increment of β-glucans.•The strong interactions between Lentinus edodes β-glucans and wheat starch existed.•Lentinus edodes β-glucans can increase the content of SDS and RDS and decrease pGI.Lentinus edodes β-glucan (abbreviated LEBG) was prepared from fruiting bodies of Lentinus edodes. The average molecular weight (Mw) and polydispersity index (Mw/Mn) of LEBG were measured to be 1.868 × 106 g/mol and 1.007, respectively. In addition, the monosaccharide composition of LEBG was composed of arabinose, galactose, glucose, xylose, mannose with a molar ratio of 5:11:18:644:16. After adding LEBG, both G′ and G″ of starch gel increased. This is mainly because the connecting points between the molecular chains of LEBG and starch formed so that gel network structures were enhanced. The peak temperature in the heat flow diagram shifted to a higher temperature and the peak area of the endothermic enthalpy increased. Furthermore, LEBG can significantly inhibit starch hydrolysis. The predicted glycemic index (pGI) values were reduced when starch was replaced with LEBG at 20% (w/w). It might indicate that LEBG was suitable to develop low GI noodle or bread.