Microbial α-Amylases in the Industrial Extremozymes

Abstract

Amylase is part of an enzyme group that hydrolyzes starch, and many amylases are commercially used for starch hydrolysis in several industrial processes. For industrial applications of amylases, the reaction conditions for starch hydrolysis also differ depending on each industrial use. There are various microbial amylases that have been isolated and developed, which have suitable enzymatic properties for each application. Especially, some microbial amylases included in "extremozymes" have been widely applied to each industrial process. The purpose of this review is to summarize the classification of amylases and the diversity of microbial α-amylases and their current industrial applications, and we would like to indicate the direction of research in screening and applications for novel types of amylases included in "extremozymes".