title: Characterization of glycosyltransferase activity of wild-type Leuconostoc mesenteroides strains from Bulgarian fermented vegetables.
abstract: Glycosyltransferase activity of 13 Leuconostoc mesenteroides strains isolated from Bulgarian fermented vegetables was investigated. All the strains displayed a mucoid phenotype on sucrose-containing agar media. Strains were characterized according to carbohydrate fermentation, species-specific multiple PCR using several primers, repetitive element-PCR fingerprinting using (GTG)(5) primers and glycosyltransferase activity. Level of activity and cellular localization (soluble or cell-associated) were variable among strains. Precipitation of exopolysaccharides produced from sucrose by the soluble fractions from these strains allowed recovery of only glucans and further characterization by (1)H and (13)C NMR analysis and enzymatic digestion with dextranase revealed dextran production. However, levans could be detected in presence of raffinose as fructosyl donor. Both fructosyltransferase and glucosyltransferase encoding genes were detected by PCR and both active enzymes were detected after functional characterization by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis and in situ polymer production after incubation with sucrose. This work therefore showed that concomitant production of glucosyltransferase and fructosyltransferase is widespread in L. mesenteroides strains.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Plovdiv University, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Tonka
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vasileva
authors.forename: Ilia
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Iliev
authors.forename: Myriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amari
authors.forename: Veselin
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bivolarski
authors.forename: Marie-Sophie
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Bounaix
authors.forename: Hervé
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Robert
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morel
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rabier
authors.forename: Iskra
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ivanova
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gabriel
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fontagné-Faucher
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gabriel
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D002031:Bulgaria; D005285:Fermentation; D005516:Food Microbiology; D016695:Glycosyltransferases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D007934:Leuconostoc / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014675:Vegetables / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D016695:Glycosyltransferases