Trehalose, a cytoplasmic reserve disaccharide of Cellulomonas sp. DSM20108: Its identification, carbon‐source‐dependent accumulation, and degradation during starvation

During growth on complete medium, as well as on mineral salts medium with different carbon sources, Cellulomonas sp. synthesized trehalose (α‐d‐glucopyranosyl‐α‐d‐glucopyranoside). This non‐reducing disaccharide was accumulated intracellularly. Its specific concentration (up to 3 μmol per mg crude extract protein) reached a maximum during cultivation and was shown to be dependent on the carbon source used. During starvation at 30°C, trehalose was degraded in vivo at an average initial specific rate of about 0.5 μmol per mg crude extract protein per day. To our knowledge this is the first time that trehalose has been reported to be an energy storage compound in a prokaryotic microorganism.