Glucoamylase covalently coupled to porous glass.

Glucoamylase (EC 3.2.1.3) was immobilized to alkylamine porous glass with glutaraldehyde. The choice and pretreatment of carrier and conditions for immobilization have been investigated. The immobilized enzyme contained about 4.0-8.0% protein and its activity was about 1000-1700 U/g. Some characteristics of the immobilized enzyme and the native enzyme have been comparatively investigated. The optimum temperature and the pH stability of the preparation were almost identical to the native one. However, the optimum pH of bound glucoamylase shifted 1.3 pH units toward the alkaline side compared to the native one. The Michaelis constant(K m ) of bound glucoamylase for soluble starch was about four times higher than that of the native enzyme, whileK m values for maltose approached those of the native material. At 45‡C the half-life of IMG was 104 days under operational conditions. Alkaline protease, α-amylase, asparaginase, and penicillin acylase were also chemically coupled to porous glass by the same method and high relative activities were obtained.