Tissue distribution and activity of enzymes involved in sucrose and hexose metabolism were examined in kernels of two inbreds of maize (Zea mays L.) at progressive stages of development. Levels of sugars and starch were also quantitated throughout development. Enzyme activities studied were: ATP-linked fructokinase, UTP-linked fructokinase, ATP-linked glucokinase, sucrose synthase, UDP-Glc pyro...

NAD-dependent D-sorbitol dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.14) was crystallized from the cytosolic fraction of Gluconobacter suboxydans IFO 3257. This is the first example of the enzyme crystallized from acetic acid bacteria. The enzyme catalyzed oxidoreduction between D-sorbitol and D-fructose in the presence of NAD or NADH. The crystalline enzyme showed a single sedimentation peak in analytical ultrace...

Pediococcus parvulus 2.6 secretes a 2-substituted (1,3)-β-D-glucan with prebiotic and immunomodulatory properties. It is synthesized by the GTF glycosyltransferase using UDP-glucose as substrate. Analysis of the P. parvulus 2.6 draft genome revealed the existence of a sorbitol utilization cluster of six genes (gutFRMCBA), whose products should be involved in sorbitol utilization and could gener...

Sequence analysis of the five genes (gutRMCBA) downstream from the previously described sorbitol-6-phosphate dehydrogenase-encoding Lactobacillus casei gutF gene revealed that they constitute a sorbitol (glucitol) utilization operon. The gutRM genes encode putative regulators, while the gutCBA genes encode the EIIC, EIIBC, and EIIA proteins of a phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent sorbitol phosphotra...

The NAD+-dependent xylitol dehydrogenase from the xylose-assimilating yeast Galactocandida mastotermitis has been purified in high yield (80%) and characterized. Xylitol dehydrogenase is a heteronuclear multimetal protein that forms homotetramers and contains 1 mol of Zn2+ ions and 6 mol of Mg2+ ions per mol of 37.4 kDa protomer. Treatment with chelating agents such as EDTA results in the remov...

These experiments were undertaken to assess the importance of cytoplasmic (c) sorbitol oxidation versus mitochondrial (m) pyruvate oxidation in mediating neural and vascular dysfunction attributable to hyperglycemia in diabetic rats. Increased oxidation of sorbitol is coupled to enzymatic reduction of free oxidized NAD(+)c to reduced NADHc, manifested by an increased ratio of NADH to NAD(+)c. L...