Isoelectric focusing studies on the beta-fructofuranosidases and alpha-glucosidases of Streptococcus mitis

Abstract

Extracts of Streptococcus mitis ATCC 903 were analysed for beta-fructofuranosidase and alpha-glucosidase activities by isoelectric focusing in thin-layer polyacrylamide gels combined with zymogram procedures. Three bands of activity were visualized in the gels after incubation with sucrose (pI 4.05, 4.25 and 4.85) and three other bands after incubation with p-nitrophenyl alpha-D-glucopyranoside (pI 3.90, 4.45 and 4.65). The enzymes responsible for the reaction with sucrose were identified as beta-fructofuranosidases (EC 3.2.1.26) for the following reasons: identical enzyme bands were visualized in the gels after incubation with raffinose; no enzyme bands appeared in the gel after incubation with the alpha-glucosides maltose, turanose, trehalose and melezitose; and the soluble fraction hydrolysed sucrose to equimolar amounts of glucose and fructose.