The enzyme glucan 1,4-β-glucosidase (), also known as 4-β-
D-glucan glucohydrolase,
catalyses the
hydrolysis
Hydrolysis (; ) is any chemical reaction in which a molecule of water breaks one or more chemical bonds. The term is used broadly for substitution reaction, substitution, elimination reaction, elimination, and solvation reactions in which water ...
of (1→4)-linkages in
1,4-β-D-glucans and related
oligosaccharide
An oligosaccharide (; ) is a carbohydrate, saccharide polymer containing a small number (typically three to ten) of monosaccharides (simple sugars). Oligosaccharides can have many functions including Cell–cell recognition, cell recognition and ce ...
s, removing successive
glucose
Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecular formula , which is often abbreviated as Glc. It is overall the most abundant monosaccharide, a subcategory of carbohydrates. It is mainly made by plants and most algae d ...
units.
This is one of the
cellulase
Cellulase (; systematic name 4-β-D-glucan 4-glucanohydrolase) is any of several enzymes produced chiefly by fungi, bacteria, and protozoans that catalyze cellulolysis, the decomposition of cellulose and of some related polysaccharides:
: Endo ...
s, enzymes involved in the hydrolysis of
cellulose
Cellulose is an organic compound with the chemical formula, formula , a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to many thousands of glycosidic bond, β(1→4) linked glucose, D-glucose units. Cellulose is an important s ...
and related
polysaccharides
Polysaccharides (), or polycarbohydrates, are the most abundant carbohydrates found in food. They are long-chain polymeric carbohydrates composed of monosaccharide units bound together by glycosidic linkages. This carbohydrate can react with wat ...
; more specifically, an
exocellulase, that acts at the end of the polysaccharide chain. Other names for this enzyme are exo-1,4-β-glucosidase, exocellulase, exo-β-1,4-glucosidase, exo-β-1,4-glucanase, β-1,4-
D-glucanase, exo-1,4-β-glucanase, and 1,4-β-
D-glucan glucohydrolase.
See also
*
β-glucosidase
References
External links
*
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EC 3.2.1