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Metabolism and Enzymology

-Glucoside Activators of Mung Bean UDP-Glucose: -Glucan Synthase ¹

II. Comparison of Effects of an Endogenous -Linked Glucolipid with Synthetic n-Alkyl -D-Monoglucopyranosides

Department of Biological Chemistry, Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91904 Jerusalem, Israel

n-Alkyl (C₆-C₁₂) -D-monoglucopyranosides have been found to be highly potent activators of mung bean -glucan synthase in vitro, increasing the V_max of the enzyme as much as 60-fold and with K_a values as low as 10 micromolar. Activation is highly specific for the -linked terminal glucose residue; other alkyl glycosides such as, octyl--glucoside, dodecyl -maltoside, 6-lauryl sucrose, 6-lauryl glucose, which lack this structure, are ineffective as activators. Based on the similarities in their structure and effects on -glucan synthesis under a variety of conditions, it is proposed that the alkyl -glucosides are structural analogs of the native glucolipid activator of -glucan synthase isolated from mung bean extracts.

¹ Supported by a grant from the Robert Szold Institute for Applied Science, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, and by Weyerhaeuser Company, Tacoma, WA.