In: Chemistry
Which of the following bonds does the cellobiase enzyme cleaves between sugar units?
a) 1-4 glycosidic bond
b) 1-6 alpha glycosidic bond
c) 1-1 alpha glycosidic bond
Answer is 1-4 glycosidic bond
Cellulose is the structural polysaccharide in the cell walls of plants and is the most abundant biological molecule on earth. Cellulose is a polymer of glucose with beta linkages connecting the glucose molecules. In general, animals, including humans, are incapable of digesting cellulose, because they do not produce the enzyme to break these beta-linkages. Enzymes are usually proteins that speed up the reactions (catalyst) that would take too long without the enzyme. Enzymes speed up most biological chemical reactions. Animals have the enzyme to break down starch, and therefore they have the ability to break the alpha-linkages between glucose molecules but animals cannot break the beta-linkages and therefore they cannot digest cellulose. The enzyme, cellobiase, catalyzes the hydrolysis of β1-4 glycosidic bonds found in sugar units.