Comparison of the action of glucoamylase and glucosyltransferase on D-glucose, maltose, and malto-oligosaccharides.

The action patterns of glucoamylase (amyloglucosidase) and glucosyltransferase (transglucosylase) on D-[1-14C]glucose, [1-14C]maltose, and [1-14C]malto-oligosaccharides (labeled at position 1 of the D-glucose group at the reducing end) have been investigated by paper-chromatographic and oligosaccharide-mapping techniques. Under the conditions of the experiments, the extent of conversion of D-glucose and of maltose into new oligosaccharides was 2.2 and 1.9% with glucoamylase, and 5.7 and 33% with glucosyltransferase. The major oligosaccharides produced by both enzymes were isomaltose (6-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-alpha-D-glucose), panose (O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl (1 leads to 6)-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 leads to 4)-alpha-D-glucose), and nigerose (3-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-alpha-D-glucose). The glucosyltransferase also synthesized oligosaccharides from malto-oligosaccharides of higher molecular weight to yield compounds having alpha-(1 leads to 6)-linked D-glucosyl groups at the non-reducing ends. Glucoamylase exhibited little, if any, such activity on malto-oligosaccharides.