Saccharification enzymes from hyperthermophilic bacteria and processes for their production
AssigneeThe Johns Hopkins University
InventorsRobert M. Kelly, Stephen H. Brown, Henry R. Costantino
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Abstract
It has been found that Pyrococcus furiosus produces several starch hydrolyzing enzymes, both extracellularly and intracellularly, which retain their activity for several hours at or above 100° C. These comprise an α-glucosidase, which has been highly purified, and amylolytic enzymes including an amylase and a pullulanase. In addition, at least one thermostable enzyme activity from P. furiosus that is useful in the process of degradation of cellulose to D-glucose has also been found, namely a β-glucosidase, which is also active up to at least 95° C.
Claims3
A purified α-glucosidase obtained from Pyrococcus furiosus that acts on the following substrates at 95° C. and pH 5.6, in descending order of relative activity, as follows:
- isomaltase, maltose, methyl-α-D-glucopyranoside, and p-nitrophenol-α-D glucopyranoside.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.