Purification and Characterization of Cycloinulooligosaccharide Fructanotransferase from Bacillus macerans CFC1

Cycloinulooligosaccharide fructanotransferase (CFTase) which produces cyclofructan from inulin was purified 332-fold from a culture broth of Bacillus macerans CFCl. The molecular mass of the CFTase was estimated to be 110 kDa by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and gel filtration, indicating that the enzyme has a monomer structure. The maximal level of enzyme activity was observed at pH 7.5 and $45^{\circ}C$. The enzyme was stable in the pH range 6.0 to 9.5, and at temperatures up to $45^{\circ}C$ for 1 h. The enzyme activity was completely inhibited in the presence of 0.5 mM $Ag^+\;or\;Cu^2+$ ion. None of sucrose (GF), l-kestose (GF2), or nystose (GF3) were found to be substrates for the CFTase, but inulooligosaccharides larger than nystose were attacked by the enzyme. The CFTase catalyzes not only the cyclization as the major reaction, but also disproportionation and coupling reactions involving intermolecular transfructosylation in the same manner as cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) (EC 2.4.1.19).