An 1,4-α-Glucosyltransferase Defines a New Maltodextrin Catabolism Scheme in Lactobacillus acidophilus

Abstract

The degradation of starch in the small intestine generates short linear and branched α-glucans. The latter are poorly digestible by humans, rendering them available to the gut microbiota, e.g., lactobacilli adapted to the small intestine and considered beneficial to health. This study unveils a previously unknown scheme of maltooligosaccharide (MOS) catabolism via the concerted activity of an 1,4-α-glucosyltransferase together with a classical hydrolase and a phosphorylase. The intriguing involvement of a glucosyltransferase likely allows the fine-tuning of the regulation of MOS catabolism for optimal harnessing of this key metabolic resource in the human small intestine. The study extends the suite of specificities that have been identified in GH13_31 and highlights amino acid signatures underpinning the evolution of 1,4-α-glucosyl transferases that have been recruited in the MOS catabolism pathway in lactobacilli.