Existence of a Novel Enzyme Converting Maltose into Trehalose

A bacterium, Pimelohacter sp. R48, isolated from soil, showed the ability to produce trehalose from maltose. The partially purified enzyme from a cell-free extract catalyzed the conversion of maltose into trehalose without requiring phosphate. The enzyme was considered to be a new intramolecular glucosyltransferase. The enzyme was also tentatively found to exist in Pseudomonas putida H262 isolated from soil and in some Thermusstrains.