STUDIES ON BACTERIAL ENZYMES

Abstract

The carbohydrases (maltase, lactase, sucrase, raffinase, amylase) and lipase (tributyrinase) of the Welch bacillus retain their hydrolytic activities in sterile solutions of the bacterial cells. The demonstration of the carbohydrases and detection of their hexose products constitute experimental proof that Welch bacilli attack complex carbohydrates by way of a preliminary hydrolysis. The result of experiments on the oxidation of the enzymes show that the inhibitory effect of air upon the initiation of growth of the living Welch bacillus does not include a comparable effect upon the activity of its hydrolyzing enzymes.