Levansucrase
Levansucrase is an extracellular enzyme that catalyzes the transfer of fructosyl units from sucrose to growing fructan chains, producing levans, which are β-2,6-linked fructans. It is a member of glycoside hydrolase family 68 and is commonly referred to by itsEC number 2.4.1.10. In addition to transfructosylation, levansucrase can hydrolyze sucrose to glucose and fructose; the relative ratio of transferase to hydrolase activity depends on substrate concentration, pH, and source organism.
Levansucrases are produced by various Gram-positive bacteria, most famously Bacillus subtilis, where the SacB gene encodes
Typical levansucrases are monomeric enzymes of roughly 60–70 kDa, with a signal peptide for secretion. They
Applications include industrial production of levan for food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical use, and exploration of prebiotic