The method of integrated kinetics and its applicability to the exo-glycosidase-catalyzed hydrolyses of p-nitrophenyl glycosides

In the present work we suggest an efficient method, using the whole time course of the reaction, whereby parameters kcat, Km and product KI for the hydrolysis of a p-nitrophenyl glycoside by an exo-acting glycoside hydrolase can be estimated in a single experiment. Its applicability was demonstrated for three retaining exo-glycoside hydrolases, β-xylosidase from Aspergillus awamori, β-galactosidase from Penicillium sp. and α-galactosidase from Thermotoga maritima (TmGalA). During the analysis of the reaction course catalyzed by the TmGalA enzyme we had observed that a non-enzymatic process, mutarotation of the liberated α-d-galactose, affected the reaction significantly.