Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 9, 2026

Rapid One-step Enzymatic Synthesis and All-aqueous Purification of Trehalose Analogues
Published on: February 17, 2017
Molecular cloning and characterization of trehalose biosynthesis genes from hyperthermophilic archaebacterium
Ju-Seok Seo1, Ju Hee An, Moo-Yeol Baik
1Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Center for Agricultural Biomaterials, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-921, Korea.
Abstract:
The trehalose (alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-[1,1]-alpha-D-glucopyranose) biosynthesis genes MhMTS and MhMTH, encoding a maltooligosyltrehalose synthase (MhMTS) and a maltooligosyltrehalose trehalohydrolase (MhMTH), respectively, have been cloned from the hyperthermophilic archaebacterium Metallosphaera hakonesis. The ORF of MhMTS is 2,142 bp long, and encodes 713 amino acid residues constituting a 83.8 kDa protein. MhMTH is 1,677 bp long, and encodes 558 amino acid residues constituting a 63.7 kDa protein. The deduced amino acid sequences of MhMTS and MhMTH contain four regions highly conserved for MTSs and three for MTHs that are known to constitute substrate-binding sites of starch-hydrolyzing enzymes. Recombinant proteins obtained by expressing the MhMTS and MhMTH genes in E. coli catalyzed a sequential reaction converting maltooligosaccharides to produce trehalose. Optimum pH of the MhMTS/MhMTH enzyme reaction was around 5.0 and optimum temperature was around 70 degrees C. Trehalose-producing activity of the MhMTS/ MhMTH was notably stable, retaining 80% of the activity after preincubation of the enzyme mixture at 70 degrees C for 48 h, but was gradually abolished by incubating at above 85 degrees C. Addition of thermostable 4-alpha-glucanotransferase increased the yield of trehalose production from maltopentaose by 10%. The substrate specificity of the MhMTS/MhMTH-catalyzed reaction was extended to soluble starch, the most abundant maltodextrin in nature.
Related Concept Videos
Hyperthermophilic Bacteria
Diversity of Archaea III
Diversity of Archaea IV
Overview of Archaea
Diversity of Archaea I

