ISSN 2736-1624
Frontiers of Agriculture and Food Technology ISSN 7295-2849 Vol. 9 (12), pp. 001-004, December, 2019. © International Scholars Journals
Review
An overview of the microbial α-amylase family
N. S. Reddy*, Annapoorna Nimmagadda and K. R. S. Sambasiva Rao
Centre for Biotechnology, Nagarjuna University, Nagarjuna Nagar -522 510, A.P., India.
Accepted 21 May, 2019
Abstract
Amylases are enzymes which hydrolyze the starch molecules into polymers composed of glucose units. α-Amylases are ubiquitous in distribution, with plants, bacteria and fungi being the predominant sources. Most of the microbial α-amylases belong to the family 13 glycosyl hydrolases, and they share several common properties. But different reaction specificities have been observed across the family members. Structurally α-amylases possess (β/α) 8 or TIM barrel structures and are responsible for hydrolysis or formation of glycosidic bonds in the α-conformation. Stability of the α-amylases has been widely studied; pH and temperature have very important roles to play. Engineering the enzymes for improved stability enhances their use industrially. This review focuses on the distribution, structural-functional aspects and factors for enhancing the stability of α-amylases.
Key words: α-Amylase, TIM barrel, glycosylhydrolases.