Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 24, 2026

Identification and Characterization of Protein Glycosylation using Specific Endo- and Exoglycosidases
Published on: December 26, 2011
Maillard reactions and increased enzyme inactivation during oligosaccharide synthesis by a hyperthermophilic
M E Bruins1, E W Van Hellemond, A E M Janssen
1Department of Food Technology and Nutritional Sciences, Food and Bioprocess Engineering Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 8129, 6700 EV, Wageningen, The Netherlands. Marieke.Bruins@Algemeen.pk.wau.nl
Abstract:
The thermostable Pyrococcus furiosus beta-glycosidase was used for oligosaccharide production from lactose in a kinetically controlled reaction. Our experiments showed that higher temperatures are beneficial for the absolute as well as relative oligosaccharide yield. However, at reaction temperatures of 80 degrees C and higher, the inactivation rate of the enzyme in the presence of sugars was increased by a factor of 2 compared to the inactivation rate in the absence of sugars. This increased enzyme inactivation was caused by the occurrence of Maillard reactions between the sugar and the enzyme. The browning of our reaction mixture due to Maillard reactions was modeled by a cascade of a zeroth- and first-order reaction and related to enzyme inactivation. From these results we conclude that modification of only a small number of amino groups already gives complete inactivation of the enzyme.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Hydrolysis
Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction in which the addition of water breaks down a polymer into its simpler monomer units. For example, peptides break into amino acids, carbohydrates into simple sugars, and DNA into nucleotides. Enzymes often facilitate these processes.
Hydrolysis Reverses Dehydration Synthesis
Complex carbohydrates can be broken down by breaking the bonds between individual sugar units. The reaction breaks a glycosidic bond as water is added to the compound. The...
Protein Glycosylation
Glycosylation occurs in...
Oligosaccharide Assembly
Multiple sugar molecules that may or may...
Glycolysis: Preparatory Phase
Proteoglycans
Oral Hypoglycemic Agents: α-Glucosidase Inhibitors
Acarbose and miglitol are typically...

