Abstract
Partially purified sucrose phosphatase from immature stem tissue of sugarcane is inhibited by sucrose. The enzyme was also inhibited by maltose, melezitose and 6-kestose but only by 8 other sugars, including glucose and fructose. The relative effectiveness of sucrose, maltose and melezitose as inhibitors is different for sucrose phosphatase from different plants. The inhibition of the sugar-cane enzyme by sucrose was shown to be partially competitive. The Ki for sucrose is about 10 m[image]. Melezitose is also a partially competitive inhibitor of the enzyme but the inhibition by maltose is probably mixed. The possibility that sucrose controls both the rate of accumulation of sucrose in stems of sugar-cane and sucrose synthesis in leaves by inhibiting sucrose phosphatase is discussed.