Partial characterization of amylases of two indigenous Central Amazonian rhizobia strains

• Main Author: Oliveira,Arlem Nascimento de
• Publication Date: 2010
• Other Authors: Oliveira,Luiz Antonio de, Andrade,Jerusa Souza
• Format: Article
• Language: eng
• Source: Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology
• Download full: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-89132010000100005
• topic: Rhizobium; Bradyrhizobium; Amylase production; Enzymatic properties

Amylase production and partial characterization of crude enzyme preparations from two rhizobia strains (R-926 and R-991) were evaluated. For both the strains, maximal amylase activities were achieved during the early-to-mid- exponential growth phase; both were active over a pH range from 4.5 to 8.5 and temperature from 30 to 50 ºC. None of the ions studied (K+, Na+, Ca2+, Hg2+, Mg2+, Mn2+, Cu2+ and Zn2+) was required for the catalytic activity of strain R-926; amylase activity of strain R-991 was stimulated in the presence of K+, Hg2+ and Zn2+. The surfactants SDS, Triton X-100 and Tween-80 did not have a pronounced inhibitory effect on enzyme activities; SDS and Tween-80 caused the highest stimulatory effects. Amylase activities from the rhizobia strains were reduced by up to 30% in the presence of EDTA; amylase activity of R-926 was also inhibited by HgCl2, suggesting that Ca2+and cysteine residues could be important for activity of this strain.