Abstract
Purification and biochemical experiments on the carboxylesterases-III (CE-III) from the indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hubner) were carried out to understand their enzymemological characteristics. The CE-III from the fifth instar larvae was purified by means of ammonium sulfate fractionation, gel permeation choromatography and ion exchange choromatography. The optimal temperature for the reaction of the CE-III on the 4 substrates ($\alpha$-Na, $\alpha$-Nb, $\beta$-Na and $\beta$-Nb) was confirmed at 4$0^{\circ}C$. The optimal pH for the reactions on the substrates $\alpha$-Na and $\alpha$-Nb was 7.5. But the optimal pH on the substrate $\beta$-Na and $\beta$-Nb was 8.0. The optimal substrate concentration for the reactions of the CE-III was 3.16 X 10$^{-3}$ M in $\alpha$-Na and $\beta$-Nb. On the substrate $\beta$-Na and $\alpha$-Nb, the optimal substrate concentration was 1.0 X 10$^{-3}$ M for CE-III. The $V_{max}$ and $K_{m}$ values of the carboxylesterases were varied by the substrates as followings: the $V_{max}$ of CE-III was 45.9 for $\alpha$-Na, 52.6 for $\beta$-Na, 36.4 for $\alpha$-Nb, and 83.3 ($\mu$ mol/min/mg protein) for $\beta$-Nb. The $K_{m}$ of CE-III was 1.43 X 10$^{-4}$ M for $\alpha$-Na, 3.57 x 10$^{-5}$ M for $\beta$-Na, 9.17 X 10$^{-5}$ M for $\alpha$-Nb, and 7.14 X 10$^{-5}$ M for $\beta$ -Nb, respectively. The CE-III seemed to have somewhat high thermostability considering that the temperature for effective denaturation on activity was about 5$0^{\circ}C$ ～ 6$0^{\circ}C$.EX>.EX>.