Trehalose Synthase Biotechnological Applications

Trehalose synthase (TreS) has emerged as a versatile biocatalyst for the direct conversion of maltose into trehalose, offering a one-step alternative to traditional two-enzyme or multi-step routes. This intramolecular isomerase enables streamlined production processes with reduced by-product formation and lower operational complexity. Advances in enzyme discovery, protein engineering and expression systems have expanded the repertoire of TreS variants, including cold-active and thermostable forms, suitable for diverse industrial conditions. Integration of TreS into whole-cell biocatalysts, surface-display platforms and immobilised assemblies has further enhanced operational stability, reusability and process intensification. These developments underpin applications in food preservation, pharmaceutical stabilisation, cosmetics and agriculture, where trehalose’s physicochemical properties confer protection against stress, dehydration and thermal denaturation. Coupling TreS-driven biotransformation to high-density fermentation, promoter engineering and multi-enzyme consortia promises scalable, cost-efficient trehalose manufacture with reduced environmental footprint and contamination risk.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Optimisation of TreS expression via promoter engineering has significantly advanced industrial trehalose production. By harnessing a maltose‐inducible promoter in Bacillus subtilis, intracellular TreS activity was elevated to over 6 800 U per gram of dry cell weight through fed-batch fermentation. High-density cultivation with maltose syrup as both carbon source and inducer enabled robust cell growth and enzyme yield. This strategy exemplifies how regulatory element tuning and scale-up design can drive TreS production to levels compatible with commercial bioprocessing, reducing reliance on heterologous hosts and simplifying downstream processing.

Trehalose Synthase Biotechnological Applications publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in trehalose synthase biotechnological applications across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Trehalose synthase (TreS): A glycoside hydrolase family 13 enzyme that catalyses the reversible intramolecular isomerisation of maltose into trehalose in a single step.

Maltose: A disaccharide of two glucose units linked by an α-1,4 bond, serving as the substrate for TreS-mediated trehalose production.

Whole-cell biocatalyst: Intact microbial cells engineered or induced to express enzymes, used directly in biotransformation without enzyme isolation.

Immobilisation: The attachment or entrapment of enzymes on solid supports to improve stability, enable reuse and simplify separation from reaction mixtures.

Cold-active enzyme: An enzyme variant optimised for high catalytic activity at low temperatures, reducing energy demands and contamination in bioprocesses.

References

1. Characterization of cold-active trehalose synthase from Pseudarthrobacter sp. for trehalose bioproduction. Bioresources and Bioprocessing (2023).
2. Trehalose Production Using Three Extracellular Enzymes Produced via One-Step Fermentation of an Engineered Bacillus subtilis Strain. Bioengineering (2023).
3. Improved Expression and Optimization of Trehalose Synthase by Regulation of Pglv in Bacillus subtilis. Scientific Reports (2019).
4. Engineering a high-sugar tolerant strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for efficient trehalose production using a cell surface display approach. Bioresources and Bioprocessing (2024).