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Sweetness of lysozymes
1Department of Brewing and Fermentation, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Japan.
Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry
|May 8, 1998
Summary
Hen egg-white lysozyme, a bacteriolytic enzyme, possesses a sweet taste, unlike human lysozyme. Other animal lysozymes also exhibit varying degrees of sweetness, suggesting unique protein properties.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Enzymology
- Sensory Science
Background:
- Proteins are essential biomolecules with diverse functions.
- The taste perception of proteins is an area of ongoing research.
- Lysozymes are enzymes known for their antimicrobial properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the taste profiles of various lysozymes.
- To determine if lysozyme possesses sweetness.
- To compare the taste of lysozymes from different species.
Main Methods:
- Sensory evaluation of different lysozyme samples.
- Amino acid sequence analysis of lysozymes.
- Homology analysis with known sweet proteins.
Main Results:
- Hen egg-white lysozyme demonstrated a distinct sweet taste.
- Lysozymes from turkey and soft-shelled turtle also exhibited sweetness, with varying intensity.
- Human lysozyme was found to be tasteless.
- Despite sequence similarities, hen lysozyme showed no significant homology to known sweet proteins.
Conclusions:
- Lysozyme, particularly from hen egg-white, possesses inherent sweetness.
- The sweet taste of lysozyme is species-specific.
- The structural basis for lysozyme's sweetness requires further investigation and is distinct from known sweet proteins.