Molecular Aspects of Amylolytic Enymes

Enzymes acting on digestive system vary accordingly the substrate they are acting upon. Constituting a major portion of these enzymes are amylolytic enzymes acting on carbohydrates (starch and related oligosaccharides and monosaccharides). The following review focuses on structural features of amylolytic enzymes. Alpha amylase, beta amylase, and glucoamylase are the three most important amylolytic enzymes acting on carbohydrates, which have similar function of catalysis of hydrolysis of alpha-glycosidic bonds in starch and related saccharides but differ in mechanism of action, individually belong to different families, and adopt a different structure. Alpha amylase belongs to large clan of 3 families 13, 70, 77 and adopts a (beta/alpha) 8 barrel fold. Beta amylase belong to family 14 and also adopts (beta/alpha)8 barrel fold also know as TIM barrel fold. Glucoamylase belongs to family 15 and adopts a helical (alpha/alpha) 6 fold.