Degradation of polysaccharides by endo- and exoenzymes: dextran-dextranase model systems.

Experiments were carried out on dextran-dextranase systems to test the prediction of a mechanistic model recently proposed by us, for the synergistic effect of combined exo/endo enzymic action in the degradation of polymeric substrates. Soluble forms of the substrate were used. Preliminary experiments with an insoluble form of the substrate were also carried out to demonstrate the applicability of the analytical techniques to these cases. Molecular weight distributions of the degradation products were determined (by gel-permeation chromatography) and the rates of production of glucose and of other reducing sugars were also measured. It was found that the exodextranase alone had very little effect on the molecular weight distributions compared to a significant shift towards lower molecular weights obtained with the endodextranase which was synergistically enhanced by the action of the combined enzymes. Glucose was produced more rapidly by the exoenzyme compared to the endoenzyme, but combinations of the two enzymes gave a rate enhancement greater than the linear sum of the effects of the two individual enzymes. In comparing the degradation indices and polydispersities of the various degradation products, similar synergistic effects of the combined enzymes in accordance with the theoretical predictions, were observed. The practical implications of these findings to the design of fermentation processes which depend on the action of endo- and exoenzyme mixtures are noted.