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Levansucrase from Leuconostoc mesenteroides NTM048 produces a levan exopolysaccharide with immunomodulating activity

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Abstract

Objectives

A levansucrase from Leuconostoc mesenteroides NTM048 was cloned and expressed and its enzymatic product was characterized.

Results

The fructansucrase gene from Leuconostoc mesenteroides was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant enzyme was purified as a single protein and its properties investigated. The polymer produced by the recombinant enzyme was identified as levan by various means including TLC and NMRs, and the enzyme was identified as a GH68 levansucrase. The enzyme was optimal at pH 5.5–6 and 30 °C, and its activity was stimulated by Ca2+. The levan produced by this strain induced IgA production in mice.

Conclusion

Leuconostoc mesenteroides, a probiotic strain, possessed levansucrase which catalyzed the produced levan that had immunomodulating activity.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Mr. T. Kitao and Mr. K. Kitao, Nitto Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., for their helpful discussions and support.

Supporting information

Supplementary Fig. 1—Primary structure of Leuc. mesenteroides NTM048 levansucrase.

Supplementary Fig. 2—Phylogenetic tree of levansucrase. Analysis was performed by the neighbor-joining method using Poisson correction (Saitou and Nei 1987).

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Correspondence to Kenji Yamamoto.

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Ishida, R., Sakaguchi, K., Matsuzaki, C. et al. Levansucrase from Leuconostoc mesenteroides NTM048 produces a levan exopolysaccharide with immunomodulating activity. Biotechnol Lett 38, 681–687 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10529-015-2024-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10529-015-2024-9

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