Food Chemistry and Fish in Nutrition

6.2.2.5. Action of Branching enzyme

When the chain has been lengthened to a minimum of 11 glucose residues, a second enzyme, the branching enzyme (amylo[α 1-4 ] [α 1-6] -transglucosidase), transfers a part of the α 1-4 chain (minimum length 6 glucose residues) to a neighboring chain to form a α 1-6 linkage, thus establishing a branch point in the molecule.

The branches grow by further additions of a 1-4 glucosyl units and further branching speeding up glycogenesis.