STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF ORGANIC SOLVENTS ON THE SYNTHESIS OF LEVAN AND THE HYDROLYSIS OF SUCROSE BY Bacillus subtilis LEVANSUCRASE

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0008-6215(89)85051-7

The equilibrium between the hydrolase and synthetase activities of levansucrase was determined by progressively substituting water with various organic solvents in the enzymic reaction medium.In the presence of high concentrations of these solvents, the enzyme displayed anly synthetase activity.The levan obtained under such conditions had M_r-10⁶ and presented a low molecular dipersity.In the presence of solvent, the K_m values for sucrose and raffinose remained unchanged, but the k_cat values were five times higher in comparison to the same constants determined for an aqueous medium.