title: Sucrose synthase: A unique glycosyltransferase for biocatalytic glycosylation process development.
abstract: Sucrose synthase (SuSy, EC 2.4.1.13) is a glycosyltransferase (GT) long known from plants and more recently discovered in bacteria. The enzyme catalyzes the reversible transfer of a glucosyl moiety between fructose and a nucleoside diphosphate (NDP) (sucrose+NDP↔NDP-glucose+fructose). The equilibrium for sucrose conversion is pH dependent, and pH values between 5.5 and 7.5 promote NDP-glucose formation. The conversion of a bulk chemical to high-priced NDP-glucose in a one-step reaction provides the key aspect for industrial interest. NDP-sugars are important as such and as key intermediates for glycosylation reactions by highly selective Leloir GTs. SuSy has gained renewed interest as industrially attractive biocatalyst, due to substantial scientific progresses achieved in the last few years. These include biochemical characterization of bacterial SuSys, overproduction of recombinant SuSys, structural information useful for design of tailor-made catalysts, and development of one-pot SuSy-GT cascade reactions for production of several relevant glycosides. These advances could pave the way for the application of Leloir GTs to be used in cost-effective processes. This review provides a framework for application requirements, focusing on catalytic properties, heterologous enzyme production and reaction engineering. The potential of SuSy biocatalysis will be presented based on various biotechnological applications: NDP-sugar synthesis; sucrose analog synthesis; glycoside synthesis by SuSy-GT cascade reactions.
authors.affiliation: Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Petersgasse 14, 8010 Graz, Austria. Electronic address: katharina.schmoelzer@acib.at.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schmölzer
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering, Graz University of Technology, NAWI Graz, Petersgasse 12/I, 8010 Graz, Austria. Electronic address: alexander.gutmann@tugraz.at.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gutmann
authors.affiliation: Centre for Industrial Biotechnology and Biocatalysis, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: margo.diricks@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Margo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Diricks
authors.affiliation: Centre for Industrial Biotechnology and Biocatalysis, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: tom.desmet@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Desmet
authors.affiliation: Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Petersgasse 14, 8010 Graz, Austria; Institute of Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering, Graz University of Technology, NAWI Graz, Petersgasse 12/I, 8010 Graz, Austria. Electronic address: bernd.nidetzky@tugraz.at.
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nidetzky
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D005964:Glucosyltransferases; D006031:Glycosylation; D060847:Metabolic Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D010940:Plant Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D005964:Glucosyltransferases; C022699:sucrose synthase
keywords: Glycobiotechnology; Glycosides; Glycosylation; Glycosyltransferase; Natural products; Nucleoside diphosphate recycling; Nucleotide-activated sugars; Sucrose synthase