Isomelezitose formation by glucansucrases.

Several glucansucrases were surveyed for their ability to produce isomelezitose, a trisaccharide with the structure α-D-glucopyranosyl (1 → 6) β-D-fructofuranosyl (2 ↔ 1) α-D-glucopyranoside. Nearly all strains tested, with one exception, produced at least trace levels of isomelezitose. Yields were low but significant, ranging from less than 1% to approximately 5% based on sucrose. This trisaccharide may arise in either of two ways: glucopyranosyl transfer to the 6Fru -OH position of sucrose, or to the anomeric OH position of isomaltulose. This study indicates that isomelezitose formation may be a general phenomenon of many glucansucrase reactions.