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Alpha-Amylase
Industrial Strength
Alpha-amylase is used in large quantities in the production of high fructose corn syrup, a mixture of sugars created from corn that is similar in taste and sweetness to the sucrose obtained from sugar beets and sugar cane. The process requires three steps, each performed by a different enzyme. Amylase performs the first step of breaking starch into small pieces. Bacterial amylases, like the one shown on the left from PDB entry 2taa, are typically used since they are easy to obtain in large quantities. The second step is performed by a fungal glucoamylase, shown here in the center from PDB entry 1dog. It breaks the small chains into individual glucose units. Unfortunately, glucose does not have a particularly palatable taste, so a third step must be added. This is performed by glucose isomerase, also known as xylose isomerase, as shown on the right from PDB entry 4xia. This enzyme converts some of the glucose into fructose, creating a tasty mixture that is used to sweeten everything from soft drinks to power bars. However, this cheap and widely available sweetener may come with some disadvantages: a quick search on the WWW will reveal a whirlwind of controversy about the role of high fructose corn syrup in obesity and diabetes.
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Last changed by: A.Honegger,