Klarinet Archive - Posting 000731.txt from 1997/03

From: "Diane Karius, Ph.D." <dikarius@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Diana K's message on enzymes
Date: Fri, 21 Mar 1997 15:35:15 -0500

> Roger Shilcock wrote:
>
> > See Diana K's messgae re amylase linkages - I suspect she doesn't actually
> > mean cellulose.
>
> Diana? Are you reading this? When you made the statement
> concerning the indigestibility of wood, were you not referring
> specifically to cellulose -- hence the dietary fiber joke?
> Or were you referring to a different substance present in
> the cane from which woodwind reeds are made?
>
sorry for not answering - too many committee meetings (who needs to
get real work done when you can have a committee :-)!) I was referring
specifically to cellulose which is the primary component of the cell
wall which surrounds a plant cell membrane (which would include cane).
Just to make sure I said it right: Amylase will only cleave an bond
between sugars that are linked in an "alpha-1,4" arrangement.
Animal carbohydrates link sugars using this arrangement.
Plants do it differently: Cellulose is made by linking
the sugars in a "beta-1,4" . The two sugars are still bond together
between carbon #1 of the first sugar and carbon #4 of the second, but
the bond has a different "shape" This puts the sugars in a different
conformation and amylase cannot get to the bond to split it apart.
Have I confused you thoroughly?
Diane R. Karius, Ph.D.
Department of Physiology
University of Health Sciences
2105 Independence Ave.
Kansas City, MO 64124
email: dikarius@-----.EDU

   
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