title: Purification and characterization of the extracellular alpha-amylase from Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824.
abstract: The extracellular alpha-amylase (1,4-alpha-D-glucanglucanohydrolase; EC 3.2.1.1) from Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824 was purified to homogeneity by anion-exchange chromatography (mono Q) and gel filtration (Superose 12). The enzyme had an isoelectric point of 4.7 and a molecular weight of 84,000, as estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. It was a monomeric protein, the 19-amino-acid N terminus of which displayed 42% homology with the Bacillus subtilis saccharifying alpha-amylase. The amino acid composition of the enzyme showed a high number of acidic and hydrophobic residues and only one cysteine residue per mole. The activity of the alpha-amylase was not stimulated by calcium ions (or other metal ions) or inhibited by EDTA, although the enzyme contained seven calcium atoms per molecule. alpha-Amylase activity on soluble starch was optimal at pH 5.6 and 45 degrees C. The alpha-amylase was stable at an acidic pH but very sensitive to thermal inactivation. It hydrolyzed soluble starch, with a Km of 3.6 g . liter-1 and a Kcat of 122 mol of reducing sugars . s-1 . mol-1. The alpha-amylase showed greater activity with high-molecular-weight substrates than with low-molecular-weight maltooligosaccharides, hydrolyzed glycogen and pullulan slowly, but did not hydrolyze dextran or cyclodextrins. The major end products of maltohexaose degradation were glucose, maltose, and maltotriose; maltotetraose and maltopentaose were formed as intermediate products. Twenty seven percent of the glucoamylase activity generally detected in the culture supernatant of C. acetobutylicum can be attributed to the alpha-amylase.
authors.affiliation: Département de Génie Biochimique et Alimentaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité Associée 544, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Paquet
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Croux
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Goma
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Soucaille
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D003013:Clostridium / Q000201:enzymology*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D000516:alpha-Amylases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000516:alpha-Amylases