The products formed by a fructan [ratio ] fructan fructosyltransferase
(FFT)
activity purified from Lolium rigidum
Gaudin were identified after gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of partially
methylated alditol acetates,
electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry and reversed-phase high-performance
liquid chromatography. The
FFT activity synthesized oligofructans up to degree of polymerization (DP)
6,
but did not synthesize fructans of
DP > 6 even when assayed with (1,1,1)-kestopentaose for up to 10 h.
The FFT
activity when assayed with 1-kestose or 6G-kestose synthesized
fructan with fructosyl residues almost exclusively linked by β-2,1-glycosidic
linkages. When assayed with 1-kestose, the FFT activity synthesized
tetrasaccharides and pentasaccharides with
an internal glucosyl residue. The predominant tetrasaccharide was
(1&6G)-kestotetraose and the predominant
pentasaccharide was (1&6G,1)-kestopentaose. By comparison,
tetrasaccharides and pentasaccharides extracted
from L. rigidum also contained predominantly β-2,1-glycosidic
linked fructans with an internal glucosyl residue.
The only exception was that one of the pentasaccharides contained
β-2,1- and β-2,6-glycosidic linked fructosyl
residues. This pentasaccharide was not synthesized by the FFT activity.
The role
of this FFT activity in formation of oligofructans in L.
rigidum is discussed.