The role of polysaccharide-chain attachment to lysozyme in the excellent emulsifying properties of polymannosyl lysozyme

Abstract

Polymannosyl lysozyme (G49N), which is polymannosylated at the position 49 by genetic modification, exhibited excellent emulsifying properties at low concentrations compared with a commercial emulsifier, Sunsoft SE-16. The polymannosyl chain was removed from G49N by the treatment with hydrazine anhydrous without any degradation of the chain. The removal of polymannosyl chain resulted in a dramatic decrease in the emulsifying properties, while the mixture of lysozyme and the polymannosyl chain did not exhibited good emulsifying properties. This suggests that the polysaccharide-chain attachment to lysozyme is critical for the excellent emulsifying properties of polymannosyl lysozyme.