Glycoconjugates synthesized via transglycosylation by a thermostable α-glucosidase from Thermoplasma acidophilum and its glycosynthase mutant.

A new method is presented for synthesizing arbutin glycosides using α-glucosidase (AglA) from Thermoplasma acidophilum and its glycosynthase mutant. An α-glycosynthase was constructed by substituting the catalytic nucleophile with the non-nucleophile glycine. Enzyme activity was then recovered using an external nucleophile. The transglycosylation reaction of AglA using maltose as a donor and arbutin as an acceptor produced arbutin coupled with a glucose moiety. The products were isolated and further analysed using preparative recycling HPLC. Arbutin glycosides linked to C-3, C-4, and C-6 were identified using NMR. The transglycosylation products of AglA were used as substrates for the enzyme reaction, which were hydrolyzed back again and reduced final yields. The glycosynthase mutant produced one main arbutin glycoside linked to C-4 with a yield of 38 % without further observed hydrolysis.