Abstract
Glucoamylase was inactivated with 1-ethyl-2-(dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDC) at pH 5.0. Time course of inactivation of glucoamylase was at least biphasic. From the results of the titration of SH groups with Ellman's reagent and hydroxylamine treatment at pH 7.0, it was concluded that the crucial sites of modification were carboxyl groups of glucoamylase. The CD spectrum of EDC-modified glucoamylase suggested that the gross conformation of the native enzyme was retained. The inactivation of glucoamylase was reduced remarkably in the presence of maltose. The logarithm of the half-life of the inactivation of glucoamylase by EDC was a linear function of log[EDC] in each stage indicating that one carboxyl group among the modified ones was crucial for inactivation of glucoamylase. The change in the binding affinity due to modification was determined by using an affinity column. It indicates that the carboxyl group of glucoamylase seems to play a role in both, the catalysis and substrate binding in the first stage, but in the second stage the binding affinity is recovered almost up to that of native enzyme.
