Specificity of amylases and cyclodextrin-glucanotransferase in reactions with 2-deoxy-maltooligosaccharides

2-Deoxy-maltooligosaccharides of different chain length were tested as substrates for exo- and endo-amylases. Cleavage occurred with β-amylase, yielding 2,2′-dideoxy-maltose, and with amyloglucosidase. With the α-amylase from Thermomonospora curvata tris-(2-deoxy)maltotriose and the corresponding tetra- and pentasaccharides were formed. Porcine pancreatic α-amylase did not tolerate the deoxygenated substrate, nor were cyclization experiments with cyclodextrin-glucanotransferase (CGT) successful. In a coupling reaction with CGT, however, a series of transfer products to the acceptor 2-deoxyglucose were obtained. Various 2-deoxy-maltooligomers could be obtained by either selective degradation employing amylases or by transfer reactions with CGTs.