Muramidase Catalyzed Hydrolysis of Glycol Chitin

Abstract

1. The activity of muramidase on glycol chitin was assayed by measuring the reducing power arising from the hydrolysis of the substrate.
2. The increment in the reducing power became small with a lapse of time and the curve representing the relation between the reducing power and the reaction time reaches a constant value within 4 hours. This value depends on the conditions used for the hydrolysis reaction.
3. The phenomenon that the reducing power reached a constant value within 4 hours depending on the conditions used, such as temperature and the ratio of enzyme to substrate, may be partly caused by product inhibition.
4. The reducing power decreased appreciably on allowing the reaction mixture to stand for times much longer than 8 hours. This decrease in the reducing power observed after a prolonged incubation means that there is some kind of a reverse hydrolysis reaction or a transglucosaminide reaction.
5. The complexity of the muramidase action on the substrate is attributable to the combination of the product inhibition and the reverse hydrolysis reaction.
6. For the application of reducing power method to the assay for the muramidase action, the well-controlled conditions should be used.