Enzymic formation of difructose anhydride IV from bacterial levan.

A novel enzyme for producing difructose anhydride IV (di-D-fructofuranose 2,6' : 6,2' dianhydride) from levan of Bacillus mesentericus was prepared from a culture of Arthrobacter ureafaciens, and the conditions and method to determine the enzymatic activity were determined. Levan of Bacillus subtilis also yielded the difructose dianhydride, but inulin, inulobiose, sucrose, levanbiose, and levantriose did not produce it on enzymic reaction under similar test conditions.