Cloning and characterization of two alpha-glucosidases from Bifidobacterium adolescentis DSM20083.

Two alpha-glucosidase encoding genes (aglA and aglB) from Bifidobacterium adolescentis DSM 20083 were isolated and characterized. Both alpha-glucosidases belong to family 13 of the glycosyl hydrolases. Recombinant AglA (EC 3.2.1.10) and AglB (EC 3.2.1.20), expressed in Escherichia coli, showed high hydrolytic activity towards isomaltose and pnp-alpha-glucoside. The K(m) for pnp-alpha-glucoside was 1.05 and 0.47 mM and the V(max) was 228 and 113 U mg(-1) for AglA and AglB, respectively. Using pnp-alpha-glucoside as substrate, the pH optimum for AglA was 6.6 and the temperature optimum was 37 degrees C. For AglB, values of pH 6.8 and 47 degrees C were found. AglA also showed high hydrolytic activity towards isomaltotriose and, to a lesser extent, towards trehalose. AglB has a high preference for maltose and less activity towards sucrose; minor activity was observed towards melizitose, low molecular weight dextrin, maltitol, and maltotriose. The recombinant alpha-glucosidases were tested for their transglucosylation activity. AglA was able to synthesize oligosaccharides from trehalose and sucrose. AglB formed oligosaccharides from sucrose, maltose, and melizitose.