Expeditious synthesis of a new hexasaccharide using transglycosylation reaction catalyzed by Bacillus (1→3),(1→4)-β-d-glucan 4-glucanohydrolase

Enzymatic hydrolysis of barley (1→3),(1→4)-β-d-glucan using a recombinant (1→3),(1→4)-β-glucanase from Bacillus licheniformis gives Glcβ4Glcβ3Glc isolated after acetylation in 49% yield. Conventional treatment produced the corresponding β-fluoride which was carefully de-O-acetylated. A transglycosylation reaction with this substrate, catalyzed by the title enzyme, gave Glcβ4Glcβ3Glcβ4Glcβ4Glcβ3Glc in 20% yield.