maltase

An enzyme which breaks down (hydrolyzes) the disaccharide maltose into glucose. Maltase has been found in the pancreas, intestine, liver, kidney, and blood serum of animals. It has also been found in the bacteria, fungi, and mono-cotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants. See also Carbohydrate metabolism; Enzyme.

Enzyme that hydrolyses maltose to yield two molecules of glucose; present in the brush border of the intestinal mucosal cells.

An enzyme that hydrolyzes α-glucosides to glucose; there are two maltases found at the brush border of the intestinal epithelium, where they hydrolyze maltose (a product of the digestion of starch) to glucose for absorption. Maltase is absent from the intestine at birth and calves are unable to properly digest starch as a result.

Maltose

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Maltase (EC 3.2.1.20) is an enzyme that breaks down the disaccharide maltose. ^{[1][clarification needed]}

In most cases, it is equivalent to alpha-glucosidase, but the term "maltase" emphasizes the disaccharide nature of the substrate from which glucose is cleaved, and "alpha-glucosidase" emphasizes the bond, whether the substrate is a disaccharide or polysaccharide^{[citation needed]}.

See also

• Maltase-glucoamylase
• Sucrase-isomaltase
• List of the enzymes related to food

References

1. ^ "Maltase - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary". http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Maltase. Retrieved on 2009-04-06. 

External links

• MeSH Maltases

v • d • e Hydrolase: sugar hydrolases (EC 3.2) 3.2.1: Glycoside hydrolases Disaccharidase Sucrase/Sucrase-isomaltase/Invertase · Maltase · Trehalase · Lactase Glucosidases Cellulase · Alpha-glucosidase (Acid, Neutral AB, Neutral C) · Beta-glucosidase · Debranching enzyme Other Amylase (Alpha-Amylase) · Chitinase · Lysozyme · Neuraminidase (NEU1, NEU2, NEU3, NEU4, Bacterial neuraminidase, Viral neuraminidase) · Galactosidases (Alpha, Beta) · alpha-Mannosidase · Glucuronidase · Hyaluronidase · Pullulanase · Glucocerebrosidase · Galactosylceramidase · Alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase · Alpha-N-acetylglucosaminidase · Fucosidase · Hexosaminidase (HEXA, HEXB) · Iduronidase · Maltase-glucoamylase 3.2.2: Hydrolysing N-Glycosyl compounds DNA glycosylases: Oxoguanine glycosylase

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