• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
• /
• v.4
• /
• pp.42-49
• /
• 1986

The changes in pectinesterase (PE) and polygalacturonase (PG) activities were investigated during maturation and ripening of tomato fruits. PG was isolated from ripe tomatoes and purified by using DEAE-sephadex A-50 column chromatography. Its property was examined by general methods. PE activity was increased during maturation and then peaked at the on set of color change. PG activity was not detectable in mature green tomato fruits but increased during softening. Slab electrophoresis of the crude enzyme isolated from ripe tomatoes shoed 6 bands. Two polygalacturonase (PGI, PGII) were separated from crude enzyme of ripe tomatoes by chromatography on DEAE-sephadex A-50. PGI and PGII were purified by 61 fold and 98 fold by the present procedure, respectively. The Rm values of partially purified PGI and PGII were estimated to be 0.25 and 0.31, respectively. The optimum temp, and pH of PGI activity were $37^{\circ}C$ and pH 4.5, while those of PGII activity were $40^{\circ}C$ and pH 4.7, respectively. Isozyme PGI activity was the most stable at pH 4.3 and retained 50% of its activity when exposed at $78^{\circ}C$ for 5 min.