Lxxx. the Proteolytic Enzymes of Sprouted Wheat

ALTHOUGH previous work has shown the presence of proteolytic activity in wheat and wheat flour, attention has been focused on the fate of the wheat proteins rather than on the nature of the enzymic processes [Sharp and Elmer, 1924; Johnson et al., 1929; Brownlee and Bailey, 1930]. Although the proteolytic activity of wheat is very slight [Cairns and Bailey, 1928; Herd, 1931; Landis, 1935] it may be enhanced considerably by germination of the seeds [Bach and Oparin, 1922]. In an endeavour to compare the proteolytic enzymes of wheat with those demonstrated in barley and malted barley [Hopkins et al., 1929; 1930; 1931; Linderstr0m-Lang et al., 1929; Sato, 1931] the principal characteristics of a protease and a dipeptidase have been determined in aqueous extracts of germinated wheat seeds. The results serve to confirm and amplify the similar conclusions of Pett [1935] which have appeared very recently.