The chromatographic examination of the products of the action of pectinase on pectin

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Abstract
Polygalacturonase prepns, from molds hydrolyze pectic acid by random scission of the glycosidic linkages of the polygalacturonide chain. When the chain length of the resultant molecular fragments is 5 or less, they move appreciably on a paper chromatogram developed with isobutyric acid. The final stages of the hydrolysis, after the iodine-reducing values show that about 30% of the glycosidic linkages are broken, can be studied on the paper chromatogram by observing the relative concns. of these fragments at various stages during the hydrolysis. The later stages of this hydrolysis were the same with "pectinase" from 3 different molds acting on pectin or low-methoxy pectin; the initial rates varied with the enzyme source and the degree of methylation of the pectin. Hydrolysis became very slow after about 50% of the linkages had been broken; with enzyme prepns. of low activity it was so slow that complete scission has not been attained. The typical properties of pectin[long dash]calcium gelation, ethanol gelation, highly viscous solns.[long dash]disappear before molecular fragments embodying 5 or fewer residues of galacturonic acid appear on the paper chromatogram.