Enzymic Breakdown of Polymetaphosphate.

Abstract

In extracts from As-pergillus oryzae, A. niger and Penicillium expansum, enzymes have been found which are able to split Na polymetaphos-phates of a mol. wt. of 1,500,000-2,000,000. With aid of viscosity measurements, dialysis, ultracentrifugation and orthophosphate detns., the authors have shown that the cleavage of[long dash]P[long dash]O[long dash]P[long dash]links in the long chains proceeds in such a way that large fragments form the first reaction product. Removal of one or a few orthophosphate residues from the terminal ends of the chains was not observed.