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B A Stone

Publications and source records attributed to B A Stone.

78 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Enzymic hydrolysis of barley and other beta-glucans by a beta-(1--4)-glucan hydrolase.

1. A barley glucan with 68% of beta-(1-->4)-linkages and 32% of beta-(1-->3)-linkages was exhaustively hydrolysed with an Aspergillus niger beta-(1-->4)-glucan 4-glucanohydrolase (EC 3.2.1.4) (Clarke & Stone, 1965b). The hydrolysis products were separated and estimated. 2. The lower-molecular-weight products were identified as: glucose, 1.4%; cellobiose, 11.9%; 3(2)-O-beta-glucosylcellobiose, 45.0%; a tetrasaccharide(s), which was a substituted cellobiose, 16.4%. A series of unidentified higher-molecular-weight products (26.5%) were also found. 3. The identity of the products suggests that the A. niger beta-(1-->4)-glucan hydrolase hydrolyses beta-glucosidic linkages joining 4-O-substituted glucose residues. 4. When an enzyme fraction containing the beta-(1-->4)-glucan hydrolase and an exo-beta-(1-->3)-glucan hydrolase was used, the same products were found, but the higher-molecular-weight products were observed to have only a transient existence in the hydrolysate and were virtually absent after prolonged incubation. It is suggested that these oligosaccharides are resistant to attack by beta-(1-->4)-glucan hydrolase but are partially hydrolysed by the exo-beta-(1-->3)-glucan hydrolase and therefore possess one or more (1-->3)-linked glucose residues at their non-reducing end.

Chemical Phenomena↗

beta-glucan hydrolases from Aspergillus niger. Isolation of a beta-(1-4)-glucan hydrolase and some properties of the beta-(1-3)-glucan-hydrolase components.

1. The components of an enzyme preparation from Aspergillus niger, which hydrolysed substrates containing beta-(1-->3)- and beta-(1-->4)-glucosidic linkages, were separated by calcium phosphate and Dowex 1 column chromatography. 2. The hydrolytic activity of each fraction from both types of column towards laminaribiose, laminarin, carboxymethylpachyman, pachydextrins, salicin, cellobiose, cellopentaose and swollen cellulose was tested. 3. The activity towards the beta-(1-->3)-glucosidic substrates was found in three well-separated groups of fractions. The differences in action pattern of these groups is discussed. 4. Preparative-scale chromatography that enabled the separation of a beta-(1-->4)-glucan-glucanohydrolase component substantially free of activity towards beta-(1-->3)-glucosidic substrates is described. Residual beta-(1-->3)-glucan-hydrolase activity was removed by adsorption on to insoluble laminarin at pH3.5.

Aspergillus↗

Properties of a beta-(1-4)-glucan hydrolase from Aspergillus niger.

1. A beta-(1-->4)-glucan hydrolase prepared from Aspergillus niger, as described by Clarke & Stone (1965a), showed a pH optimum in the range 4.5-6 and K(m) 0.25% when acting on a cellulose dextrin sulphate substrate. 2. The hydrolase rapidly decreased the specific viscosity of carboxymethylcellulose with a small increase in the production of reducing sugars. The identity of the products of hydrolysis of cellotetraose, cellopentaose and their reduced analogues indicate a preferential cleavage of non-terminal glucosidic linkages. The enzyme may be described as beta-(1-->4)-glucan 4-glucanohydrolase (EC 3.2.1.4). 3. In addition to carboxymethylcellulose, cellulose dextrins, cellopentaose and cellotetraose the enzyme fraction hydrolysed lichenin, oat and barley glucans, ivory-nut mannan and a glucomannan from Konjak flour. No hydrolysis of wheat-straw beta-(1-->4)-xylan, Lupinus albus beta-(1-->4)-galactan, pneumococcal type III polysaccharide, chitin, hyaluronic acid, laminarin, pachydextrins, carboxymethylpachyman or beta-(1-->3)-oligoglucosides was detected. 4. The hydrolase showed no transglycosylase activity from cellodextrin or cellopentaose substrates to glucose or methanol acceptors. 5. The hydrolysis of cellodextrins was inhibited completely by 1.0mm-Hg(2+), 0.7mm-phenylmercuric nitrate and 1.0mm-iodine.

Aspergillus↗