Purification and Characterization of a β-Amylase of Hendersonula toruloidea

β-Amylase produced by Hendersonula toruloidea was purified to homogeneity by salting out with ammonium sulphate, ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and gel-filtration on Sephadex G-75. The relative molecular mass of the enzyme was estimated to be 60,000 by gel filtration. The enzyme was optimally active at pH 6.0 and 60°C, stable between pH 6 and 8 (24 h) and retained 74% activity at 70°C (30 min). It was strongly activated by Na⁺ but inhibited by Hg²⁺, Zn²⁺ and Cu²⁺. The enzyme hydrolyzed amylopectin (Km 0.42 mg/ml) forming maltose, maltotetraose and unidentified maltooligosaccharide, and hydrolyzed soluble starch (Km 0.3 mg/ml) and glycogen (Km 0.5 mg/ml) forming maltose and unidentified maltooligosaccharide.     

Characteristics of alpha-Amylase K,a Novel Amylase from a Strain of Bacillus subtilis

α-Amylase K is a novel thermostable α-amylase from Bacillus subtilis which produces maltohexaose from starch. Various methods showed the existance of two forms which did not differ significantly in action and which may therefore be isoenzymes. α-Amylase K is stable at 60°C in the presence of additional calcium chloride with 80% activity remaining after 6d. It is completely deactivated after 10 min at 90°C and inhibited by tris-(hydroxymethyl)-aminomethane above pH 5.0. The purified α-amylase K fractions are less thermostable than the original enzyme solution. α-Amylase K is stable to freeze drying but reconstituted enzyme solution was less active at at pH-values below of 5.8.     

ISOLATION AND CHARACTERISATION OF THE AMYLOTIC SYSTEM OF SCHWANNIOMYCES CASTELLII

The amylolytic system of Schwanniomyces castellii has been isolated and purified by means of ultrafiltration followed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Both α-amylase and glucoamylase were purified. α-Amylase activity was stable from pH 5·5 to 6·5 and glucoamylase activity was stable at a more acidic range of pH 4·2 to 5·5. The optimal temperature of α-amylase activity was between 30 and 40°C with rapid deactivation at 70°C. The optimal temperature of glucoamylase was 40 to 50°C with rapid decline of activity at 60°C. The K_m of α-amylase with soluble starch as the substrate was 1·15 mg/ml and the K_m of glucoamylase with the same substrate was 10·31 mg/ml. Glucoamylase was able to hydrolyze α-1, 4 and α-1,6 glucosidic linkages, as demonstrated by its ability to hydrolyse maltose and isomaltose respectively, whereas α-amylase could hydrolyse α-1,4 glucosidic linkages only. α-Amylase was shown to be a glycoprotein, whereas no carbohydrates were associated with glucoamylase.     

Isolation and Characterization of Invertase from Iraqi Date Fruit

Soluble invertase was isolated and characterized from the pericarp of Iraqi date fruit, Sayer variety. The optimum pH of the soluble invertase was 4.0–4.7 and the optimum temperature was 50°C. The specific activity of the partially purified soluble invertase was 70.0 units per mg protein. The molecular weight of the soluble invertase was 70.0 units per mg protein. The molecular weight of the soluble invertase was probably more than 300,000 Daltons, and had high affinity for sucrose with a Km value of 3.33 × 10^-3 mM. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) inhibited the activity of the soluble invertase.     

Effect of Phytate and Other Myo-inositol Phosphate Esters on α-Amylase Digestion of Starch

The effects of phytate and other myo-inositol phosphate esters (containing one or more phosphate groups) on α-amylase digestion of soluble potato starch were evaluated by an in vitro procedure. Human salivary or Bacillus subtilisα-amylase was treated with either 2 mM or 5 mM phytate, myo-inositol-2-monophosphate (l–2-MP), or phytate hydrolyzed to various degrees, and then incubated at 37°C with the starch at pH 4.15 or 6.90. Starch digestion varied with degree of phosphorylation of inositol, inositol phosphate ester concentration, pH and enzyme source. At pH 4.15, phytate (2 mM) and I-2-MP (2 mM) reduced starch digestion by salivary α-amylase to 8.5 and 78.3%, respectively, of the control.     

STABILITY AND ENZYMATIC PROPERTIES OF β-GALACTOSIDASE FROM KLUYVEROMYCES FRAGILIS

Kluyveromyces fragilis β-galactosidase purified to electrophoretic, chromatographic and immunochemical homogeneity was used. The enzyme specifically required potassium ions for stability; MnCl₂ increased the stability. The enzyme was maximally stable at pH 6.5 to 7.5; stability was markedly less at pH's below 6.5 and above pH 8.5 at 37°C. Temperature denaturation followed first order kinetics with an activation energy for denaturation of 56 kcal/mol. Maximum activity was achieved in the presence of 5mM KCl. In potassium phosphate buffer, the enzyme was further activated by Mn²⁺, Mg²⁺, Co²⁺ and Zn²⁺; Mn²⁺, at 0.1 mM, gave the highest activation. None of these ions activated the enzyme in Tris buffer and> 0.1 mM Zn²⁺ caused complete loss of activity. Activity was completely inhibited by ethylenediaminetetraacetate and partially restored by addition of MnCl₂. p-Chloromercuribenzoate caused rapid loss of activity which could be restored by dithiothreitol. Iodoacetamide, N-ethylmaleimide and sodium tetrathionate did not inactivate the enzyme. The enzyme was specific for β-galactosides. K_m's for o-nitrophenyl β-D-galactopyranoside and lactose were 2.72 and 13.9 mM, respectively, at pH 6.6 D-Galactono-1, 4-lactone was a good competitive inhibitor (K_i=0.17 mM). pH optimum for hydrolysis of o-nitrophenyl β-D-galactopyranoside was 6.2–6.4. V_max for this substrate was dependent on two ionizable groups of pK_a of 6.13 and 6.51 while V_max/K_m was dependent on two ionizable groups of pK_a of 6.39 and 7.23. Activation energy for hydrolysis of o-nitrophenyl β-D-galactopyranoside at pH 7.0 was 9.1 kcal/mol in the range 20–40°C.     

Purification and Properties of a Thermostable Inulinase (β-D-Fructan Fructohydrolase) from Bacillus stearothermophilus KP1289

A thermophilic soil isolate, Bacillus stearothermophilus KP1289, that grew from 41 °C to 69 °C, produced extracellular inulinases in the presence of inulin. One (inulinase II) of these enzymes was purified to homogeneity. The molecular weight (M_r) and the isoelectric point of the enzyme were estimated as 54,000 and 5.0, respectively. The enzyme was active between 30 and 75 °C and at pH 4.5—8.6 with an optimum at 60 °C and pH 6.1. At 69 °C and pH 7.0 the half-life of the enzyme was 10 min. The enzyme released fructose exo-wise from the non-reducing end of inulin (M_r = 4,5000). The Michaelis constant, catalytic center activity, and specificity constant for inulin at 60 °C and pH 5.0 were 80 mM (360 mg/mL), 460 s^—1, and 5.8 s^—1 mM^—1, respectively. The ratio of specificity constants for inulin, sucrose, and raffinose was 1:0.50:0.16. The enzyme was classified as a thermophilic thermostable β-D -fructan fructohydrolase (EC 3.2.1.80).     

解淀粉芽孢杆菌I型耐热普鲁兰酶的纯化及酶特性分析

对来源于菌株解淀粉芽孢杆菌HxP-21的普鲁兰酶（命名为PulBa）分离纯化，研究其酶学特性，为普鲁兰酶在淀粉加工中的应用提供理论基础。通过硫酸铵沉淀、阴离子交换层析和葡聚糖凝胶过滤层析从菌株HxP-21发酵液中分离纯化出一种新型的普鲁兰酶。酶的纯化倍数20.8，回收率53.2%，比活力176.5 U/mg。十二烷基硫酸钠-聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳测得PulBa达到电泳纯，分子质量51.2 kDa。PulBa在45～70 ℃和pH 3～6范围内具有较高酶活力，最适反应温度55 ℃、pH 4.5。PulBa有良好的pH值稳定性和热稳定性，40～70 ℃孵育120 min保留最初活性的80%以上；pH 3～7范围内具有很高的稳定性，孵育6 h后仍保留60 U/mL以上活性。PulBa对各种金属离子和化学试剂表现出不同的敏感性，Mg2＋和Ca2＋能够显著增强酶活力。PulBa最适作用底物为普鲁兰糖，对马铃薯支链淀粉、玉米支链淀粉、可溶性淀粉和糖原也有一定水解活性，但对α-环糊精和β-环糊精和直链淀粉无活性。以普鲁兰糖为底物PulBa的Km和Vmax值分别为1.34 mg/mL和24.6 μmol/（min·mg）。研究表明PulBa是典型的I型普鲁兰酶。薄层层析进一步证明，PulBa专一性水解支链淀粉α-1,6-糖苷键，产生麦芽三糖。本研究确定了一种新型的普鲁兰酶，该酶在高热稳定性和酸性环境下具有高活性，在淀粉加工等生物技术产业中有较好的应用潜力。     

IMPROVED EXTRACTION AND ASSAY OF β-AMYLASE BROM BARLEY AND MALT

β-Amylase was extracted from barley or malt using four physical techniques to break up grists which had been prepared using a Moulinex coffee grinder. Grinding with a Polytron homogeniser apparently completely disrupted all cells, as determined by transmission electron microscopy, and increased the efficiency of extraction of β-amylase from barley by more than 30%. The other treatments tested were without value . The β-amylase activity in extracts of barley or malt was assayed by measuring the production of reducing sugars from reduced soluble starch, using a PAHBAH reagent. α-Amylase, which interferes with the quantitation of β-amylase in extracts of malt, was not totally inactivated by the chelating buffer used for enzyme extraction or by several other chelating agents. α-Amylase activity was quantified specifically using Phadebas. Using purified α-amylase a calibration was developed which related activity, as determined using Phadebas, to reducing power units. Thus the α-amylase activity present in an extract containing β-amylase could be determined using Phadebas and the reducing power equivalent activity subtracted from the total “apparent” activity to give the actual β-amylase activity. α-Glucosidase and limit dextrinase activities are believed to be too low to have a significant effect on the apparent β-amylase . The soluble and bound β-amylase activities were measured in samples taken from micromalting barley (Alexis). Dry weight losses increased to over 10% after 8 days germination. Antibiotics, applied during steeping, were used to control microbes in one experiment. However, their use checked germination and reduced malting losses to 8.4% in 8 days germination. The soluble enzyme present in extracts from steeped barley and early stages of germination was activated (20–40%) by additions of the reducing agent DTT .     

Purification and Characterization of a Novel Protopectin-Solubilizing Enzyme from Aspergillus niger Z-25

A mutant, Aspergillus niger Z-25 derived from A. niger XZ-131 with N⁺ supplementation, produced a protopectin-solubilizing enzyme (protopectinase). The enzyme was purified to homogeneity by a procedure involving ammonium sulfate fractionation and gel chromatographies on DEAE-Sephadex A-50 and Sephadex G-100 columns. The molecular weight of the protopectinase was estimated at 68.4 KD by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The enzyme was stable from pH 3.0 to 7.0 and up to 60°C. The optimum pH and temperature for enzyme activity was 4.0 and 50°C, respectively. The purified enzyme had 268-U/mL PPase (protopectinase) activity on citrus protopectin, and also showed 100-U/mL PGase (polygalacturonase) activity, which catalyzed the hydrolysis of polygalacturonic acid. The Km value for protopectin was 0.215 mg/mL, while the Km value for polygalacturonic acid was 39.09 mg/ml. The PPase/PGase q-value was 2.68, more than 0.5. Therefore the enzyme was considered a novel pectinase and classified as protopectinase.     

Amylase Activity in Banana Fruit: Properties and Changes in Activity with Ripening

Following subcellular fractionation and centrifugation, the amylase activity was located in the cytosol fraction of banana fruit. Over 80% of the observed activity (15—20 units per mg of protein) was attributed to α-amylase. The activity of β-amylase was tenfold lower and starch phosphorylase activity was low (17 μg inorganic phosphorus released per mg protein per 24 hr.). The activity of amylase in crude preparations was stimulated 40% by calcium ions. The amylase preparation, which was very stable at 4°C, hydrolyzed soluble potato starch and banana starch at similar rates. Maximum activity was observed between pH 6—7. The energy of activation of hydrolysis was 9.74 Kcal/mole. Amylase was quite active up to 62°C but rapidly lost activity above this temperature. There was an approximate twofold increase in amylase during the initial phase of ripening.     

Purification and Characterization of β-amylase from Bacillus polymyxa No. 26-1

An extracellular β-amylase, which was easily adsorbable onto raw corn starch, was purified 22.5-fold from a new isolate of Bacillus polymyxa No 26–1 with a M_r of 53 kDa and pI of 9.1. The optimum temperature was 45°C and pH 5.5 for raw corn starch. Thermal stability at 40°C and pH stability at 5.0–8.5 were shown. The degradation ofraw starch by β-amylase was greatly stimulated by pullulanase addition. Scanning electron micrographs revealed that starch granule degradation by the enzyme alone occured at the equatorial grooves of lecticular granules. Corn starch granules hydrolyzed by β-amylase had large holes on granule surfaces.     

MODIFIED ASSAY FOR α-AMYLASE IN GERMINATING BARLEY

The activity of α-amylase is defined as the reciprocal of the time taken by a heat-treated malt extract to reduce the iodine-colouring capacity of a solution of soluble starch to half its initial value, under standardized conditions. Reasons are given for preferring starch iodine colour to reducing power measurements for following enzyme activity. α-Amylase is extracted from grain and contaminating enzymes are largely inactivated by heating a pulverized sample in a solution of calcium acetate. Boiled extracts of coloured malt make solutions of α-amylase less stable to heat. Precautions taken to achieve accurate sampling of enzyme digests and in measuring the starch iodine colour usefully improve the precision of the method. Results are calculated graphically using standard graph principles.     

A Maltooligosaccharides Producing α-Amylase from Bacillus subtilis SDP1 Isolated from Rhizosphere of Acacia cyanophylla Lindley

Maltooligosaccharides producing amylases are required in the food industry, especially in breadmaking. The Bacillus subtilis strain SDP1 amylase hydrolyses starch to produce maltotriose and maltotetraose along with maltose after prolonged reactions of 5 h. Bacillus subtilis strain SDP1 was isolated from the rhizosphere of Acacia cyanophylla Lindley from the Çukurova region of Turkey. The highest enzyme production was achieved with soluble starch as the carbon and yeast extract as the nitrogen source and at pH 7.0 and 37°C. Under optimized culture conditions, 68.49 U/mL activity was obtained. SDP1 α-amylase had molecular weight of 61 kD. The optimum pH of the enzyme was 7.0 and was highly active at pH ranging from 5.0 to 9.0. The optimum temperature of the crude enzyme was 60°C, and it retained 83% and 74% of its initial activity after 1 h and 2 h incubation periods, respectively, at 50°C. While, Mn⁺² has a stimulatory effect on the activity, Ca⁺², Mg⁺², Na⁺ did not effect the enzyme activity. Fe⁺³, Ni⁺², Cu⁺² and Co⁺² had an inhibitory effect on SDP1 amylase activity.     

Purification and Properties of Beta-galactosidase from Streptococcus thermophilus

A β-galactosidase from Streptococcus thermophilus was purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulfate and acetone fractionation, gel filtration on Sephadex G-200, and ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A-50. The purified enzyme preparation exhibited an optimum pH at 6.6–7.0 and an optimum temperature of 57°C. The enzyme was stable at pH 6.8–7.0. Km and V_max for the enzyme, using ortho-nitrophenyl β-D-galactopyranoside as the substrate, were 0.25 mM and 83 μmoles/mg protein/min, respectively. It was strongly inhibited by Hg⁺⁺, Ag⁺, and Cu⁺⁺ as well as pchloro-mercuri benzoate. The enzyme had a molecular weight of about 6 × 10⁵ and was highly specific for β-galactoside bonds.     

PURIFICATION AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF AN EXTRA CELLULAR AMYLASE FROM A STRAIN OF BACILLUS AMYLOLIQUEFACIENS ISOLATED FROM DRY ONION POWDER

An extracellular α-amylase from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, isolated from dry onion powder, has been purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulfate fractionation, adsorption on starch, column chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, and gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 column. The enzyme consisted of one polypeptide chain with a molecular weight of 60,000. The isoelectric point was pH 5.2, the pH optimum 5.5 and the temperature optimum ranging from 50°-70°C. Prolonged digestion by trypsin did not affect the catalytic properties of the enzyme. The K_m for starch was 6.9 mg/ml. The enzyme was quite stable at 50°C, but lost about 85% of its activity at 60° after 30 min (pH 6.0).     

Purification and Characterization of a Maltotriogenic α-Amylase I and a Maltogenic α-Amylase II Capable of Cleaving α-1,6-Bonds in Amylopectin

Extracellular α-amylases I and II, produced by a facultative thermophile Bacillus thermoamyloliquefaciens KP 1071 capable of growing at 30–66°C, were purified to homogeneity. α-Amylase I consisted of a single polypeptide with methionine residue at the NH₂-terminus. α-Amylase II consisted of two equivalent polypeptides each comprising a methionine at the NH₂-terminus. α-Amylase I hydrolyzed endotypically α-1,4-bonds in glycogen, amylopectin and β-limit dextrin, but not their α-1,6-bonds. α-Amylase II degraded amylopectin and β-limit dextrin in exo-fashion by cleaving preferentially α-maltose units from the non-reducing ends and hydrolyzing their α-1,6-branch points. α-Amylase II hydrolyzed maltotriose, phenyl-α-maltoside, α- and β-cyclodextrins and pullulan, whereas α-amylase I had no activity for all these sugars. α-Amylases I and II hydrolyzed maltotetraose, maltopentaose, α-limit dextrin and amylose, but they were inactive for maltose, isomaltose and panose. It was suggested that α-amylase I is the most thermostable type of hitherto known maltotriogenic endo-acting α-amylases, and α-amylase II is the first maltogenic exo-acting α-amylase able to split α-1,6-bonds in amylopectin.     

Raw Starch Digestion by α-Amylase and Glucoamylase from Chalara paradoxa

Glucoamylase and α-amylase of Chalara paradoxa were separated by hydrophobic column chromatography using butyl-Toyopearl 650M. The α-amylase showed the highest activity at pH 5.5 and 45°C, and was stable in the pH range of 5.5–6.5 and at temperatures lower than 40°C. The glucoamylase showed the highest activity at pH 5.0 and 45°C, and was stable in the pH range of 4.0–7.5 and at temperatures lower than 45°C. The molecular mass of the α-amylase and glucoamylase estimated by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was 80,000 and 68,000, respectively. Both glucoamylase and α-amylase could digest more effectively raw rice starch and raw corn starch than raw sago starch and raw potato starch. 2% raw rice starch in 10 ml solution was digested by more than 90% by 100 units of each amylase. When these amylases were used combined, raw corn starch was more effectively digested than they were used singly. This cooperative action in raw corn starch digestion was also observed when. C. paradoxa α-amylase and R. niveus glucoamylase were combined.     

Biochemical changes in phosphorus compounds and in the activity of phytase and α-amylase in the rice (Oryza sativa) grain during germination

Changes in the phytic acid, inorganic phosphorus and ATP contents, and in the activity of phytase and α-amylase in rice (Oryza sativa L) grains were determined during 18 days of germination in a dark room. The effect of phytic acid on α-amylase activity was studied in vitro. Rice grains immersed in sterilised deionised water at 14^°C germinated on the fifth day. Phytase activity, detected in the ripening rice grains, increased linearly until the eighth day and reached a maximum on the tenth day. There was a marked decrease in phytate and an increase in inorganic phosphorus accompanying germination. There was a good inverse correlation between the levels of both phytase activity and inorganic phosphorus, and phytate breakdown. α-Amylase activity was detected on the fourth day and increased markedly from the 12th to the 16th day of germination. ATP level increased from the second to the fourth day and slightly decreased from the fourth to the eighth day; it increased rapidly again from the eighth to the 18th day of germination. α-Amylase activity was influenced by both pH and phytic acid concentration in the assay system. At 75 mM phytic acid, α-amylase activity was lowered by 23%, 93% and 52% at pH 4–0, 5–0 and 6–0 respectively. When the enzyme, phytate and Ca²⁺ were incubated together at pH 5–0, the inhibition of α-amylase by phytic acid was markedly decreased by addition of Ca²⁺. The chemical affinity of Ca²⁺ for phytic acid was higher in the reaction at pH 5–0 than in those at pH 4–0 and pH 6–0, and over 98% of Ca²⁺ in the reaction system was precipitated as Ca-phytate.     

Stability and Kinetic Properties of a Magnetic Immobilized alpha-Amylase K

The properties of α-amylase K immobilized on hydrous titanium(IV)oxide coated magnetic iron oxide are reported and compared with the previously reported properties of the soluble form of the enzyme. The optimum pH was increased on immobilization but the addition calcium chloride caused a decrease. Compared to the soluble form the immobilized enzyme is less stable at 60 °C in calcium enriched buffers but more stable in calcium free buffers. The temperature-activity profile has a plateau between 40 °C and 60 °C attributable to a comformational change above 60 °C to a more active form. The action pattern in the hydrolysis of soluble starch was found to be unaffected by immobilization. Parameters affecting the amount of bound activity were studied. The magnetic recovery of the immobilized enzyme was complete.