Assessment of the fructanolytic activities in the rumen bacterium Treponema saccharophilum strain S.

AIMS: To characterize the fructose polymer degrading enzymes of rumen bacterium Treponema saccharophilum strain S. METHODS AND
RESULTS: Conventional methods were used to examine bacterial growth and enzyme activities. Electrophoretic zymogram under native conditions, and thin layer chromatography, were applied to identify and characterize the enzymes. Treponema saccharophilum utilized Timothy grass fructan, inulin and sucrose but not free fructose. Timothy grass fructan was degraded at a significantly higher rate than sucrose and inulin. Two fructanolytic enzymes were found in the soluble, and one in the membrane fraction of bacterial cell extract. The first degraded each mentioned carbohydrate to monosaccharides. The second released oligosaccharides only from Timothy grass fructan.
CONCLUSIONS: The bacterium T. saccharophilum strain S is capable of synthesizing non-specific beta-fructofuranosidases and 2,6-beta-D-fructan fructanohydrolase. The enzymes are of constitutive character. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: It has been stated for the first time that the 2,6-beta-D-fructan fructanohydrolase is synthesized by the rumen bacterium T. saccharophilum. This organism appears to be responsible for grass fructan degradation in the rumen.