The mechanism of action of primary alkylsulphohydrolase and arylsulphohydrolase from a detergent-degrading micro-organism.

Previous studies have shown that secondary alkylsulphohydrolases from certain detergent-degrading micro-organisms are unusual esterases in that they catalyse fission of the C-O bond of the alkyl sulphate ester linkage. The position of bond fission catalysed by a primary alkylsulphatase and an arylsulphohydrolase present in Pseudomonas C12B has now been investigated. The primary alkylsulphatase behaved like the secondary alkylsulphohydrolases in cleaving the C-O bond of potassium heptan-1-yl sulphate. In contrast, the arylsulphohydrolase, in common with other similar enzymes previously studied, catalysed the fission of the O-S bond of potassium p-nitrophenyl sulphate.