N. V. Borzova, L. D. Varbanets

Danylo Zabolotny Institute of Microbiology and Virology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv;
е-mail: nv_borzova@bigmir.net

Investigations of the influence of chemical and physical factors on the conformational and functional properties of enzymes make a significant contribution to the study of the mechanism of action of industrially important proteins. The aim of the work was to evaluate the effect of chemical reagents and UV irradiation on the catalytic properties of Penicillium canescens α-galactosidase. Enzyme activity was assessed with p-nitrophenyl-α-D-galactopyranoside. Studies of the functionally active glycosidase groups were carried out on the basis of inhibitory and kinetic analysis using Dixon and Luinuiver-Burke methods with help of specific chemical reagents. A significant decrease in the activity of α-galactosidase in the presence of carbodiimi­des, diethylpyrocarbonate, the reagents on sulfhydryl groups was shown. A UV-induced decrease in enzyme activi­ty in the dose range of 900-7200 J/m² was noted. Based on the data obtained, the imidazole group of histidine, carboxyl groups of C-terminal amino acids and the SH-groups of cysteine are assumed to play an important role in the manifestation of the activity of P. canescens α-galactosidase.