STUDIES ON CARBOHYDRATE-METABOLIZING ENZYMES. V. SYNTHESIS OF OLIGOSACCHARIDES FROM MALTOSE AND GLUCOSE BY YEAST ENZYMES*

Incubation of a 15% solution of maltose with a brewer's yeast maltase preparation resulted in the formation of small amounts of oligosaccharides. These have been separated by charcoal-Cefite chromatography, and characterized by chemical and enzymic methods as isomaltose, panose and maltotriose. The same enzyme preparation also catalysed limited oligosaccharide synthesis from glucose. Possible mechanisms of saccharide synthesis are discussed and the properties of yeast maltase and of other maltases are compared.