We report the characterization and cDNA cloning of two alpha-amylase isozymes from larvae of the Western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte). Larvae raised on artificial media have very low levels of amylase activity, and much higher levels are found in larvae raised on maize seedlings. At pH 5.7, the optimum pH for enzyme activity, the alpha-amylases are substantially but no...

Gibberellic acid (GA) enhances the synthesis of alpha-amylase and ribonuclease in isolated aleurone layers and this process is inhibited by abscisin. Removal of gibberellic acid in mid-course of alpha-amylase production results in a slowing down of alpha-amylase synthesis, suggesting a continued requirement of GA for enzyme synthesis. This is paralleled by a continuous requirement for RNA synth...

The extensive efforts to screen thermophilic fungi and bacteria, isolated from various environmental samples, have resulted in the selection of Thermomucor indicae-seudaticae, Geobacillus thermoleovorans NP33 and G. thermoleovorans NP54 for the production of glucoamylase, amylopullulanase and alpha-amylase, respectively. Submerged and solid-state fermentation processes were optimized for maximi...

Secretion of cold-adapted alpha-amylase from Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis TAB23 was studied in three Antarctic bacteria. We demonstrated that the enzyme is specifically secreted in the psychrophilic hosts even in the absence of a protein domain that has been previously reported to be necessary for alpha-amylase secretion in Escherichia coli. The occurrence of two different secretion pathways ...

Alpha amylase inhibitors derived from plants pose a new commercial dimension in designing potent drug targets for the treatment of postprandialhyper glycemia (PPHG), a major concern for type-2 Diabetes. A large number of traditionally known medicinal plants are being screened for their natural amylase inhibitors. The present study was carried out to screen six ornamental plants wildly grown in ...

Bacteria were found that are capable of producing good yields of beta-amylase in unrefined media. The culture filtrates are free of alpha-amylase and isoamylase.

Alpha-amylase inhibitors from wheat are found noble sources to develop insect resistant transgenic plants. Thus far wheat alpha – amylase inhibitor genes have been cloned, sequenced and characterized by various researchers through cDNA library. A subunit of tetrameric alpha amylase CM3 gene was isolated and characterized directly from genomes of different Indian wheat varieties using PCR approa...

The effects on beef cattle growth performance and carcass characteristics of feeding silages produced by altered fermentations were determined. Alpha-amylase was added at 0 or .05% (wet basis) and sorbic acid was added at 0 or .10% (wet basis) to chopped whole corn plants before ensiling in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. For three successive years, 40 beef heifers (224 kg) were fe...

Alpha-Amylase from the antarctic psychrophile Altermonas haloplanktis is synthesized at 0 +/- 2 degrees C by the wild strain. This heat-labile alpha-amylase folds correctly when overexpressed in Escherichia coli, providing the culture temperature is sufficiently low to avoid irreversible denaturation. In the described expression system, a compromise between enzyme stability and E. coli growth r...