Levoglucosan Dehydrogenase Involved in the Assimilation of Levoglucosan in Arthrobacter sp. I-552

Abstract

A levoglucosan (1, 6-anhydro-β-D-glucopyranose)-using bacterium, isolated from soil, was identified. It was shown to belong to the genus Arthrobacter and tentatively named Arthrobacter sp. I-552. A novel enzyme catalyzed the dehydrogenation of levoglucosan to form 1, 6-anhydro-β-D-ribo-hexopyranos-3-ulose (3-keto levoglucosan), using NAD⁺ as an electron acceptor, i. e. NAD⁺ : 1, 6-anhydro-β-D-glucopyranose oxidoreductase (trivial name : levoglucosan dehydrogenase). This enzyme was purified and characterized. A possible reaction scheme for the glucose formation was proposed. This pathway for levoglucosan use is distinct from those in yeast and fungi.