Maltase, drawn from PDB 1OBB.

Maltase (EC 3.2.1.20) is one enzyme produced by the cells lining the small intestine to break down disaccharides. It comes under the enzyme category carbohydrase (which is a subcategory of hydrolase), and the disaccharide it hydrolyses is maltose. gen w/ Deepview using PDB:1OBB File links The following pages link to this file: Maltase Categories: Free use images | Protein images ... gen w/ Deepview using PDB:1OBB File links The following pages link to this file: Maltase Categories: Free use images | Protein images ... The Protein Data Bank (PDB) is a repository for 3-D structural data of proteins and nucleic acids. ... The Enzyme Commission number (EC number) is a numerical classification scheme for enzymes, based on the chemical reactions they catalyze. ... Ribbon diagram of the enzyme TIM. TIM is catalytically perfect, meaning its conversion rate is limited, or nearly limited to its substrate diffusion rate. ... Diagram showing the small intestine In biology the small intestine is the part of the gastrointestinal tract between the stomach and the large intestine (colon). ... In chemistry, disaccharides are carbohydrates consisting of two monosaccharide units. ... In biochemistry, a hydrolase is an enzyme that can break a chemical bond by hydrolysis. ... α-Maltose Maltose (also: malt sugar, di-glucose) is a disaccharide with the molecular formula C12H22O11. ...

Maltase is secreted by the surface cells of the villi, which are thin projections on the mucosa. These are found throughout the small intestine, but differ in shape in the duodenum and ileum sections. Villi (singular: villus) are tiny, finger-like structures that protrude from the wall of the intestine to help absorb nutrients in the lumen. ... The mucous membranes (or mucosa) are linings of ectodermic origin, covered in epithelium, that line various body cavities and internal organs. ... In anatomy of the digestive system, the duodenum is a hollow jointed tube connecting the stomach to the jejunum. ... Grays Fig. ...

The maltase works like any other enzyme, with the substrate (maltose) binding with the active site. When the maltose had binded with the maltase, the former is hydrolysed, that is to say it is split into its component parts, i.e. two molecules of α-glucose. This is done by breaking the glycosidic bond between the 'first' carbon of one glucose, and the 'fourth' carbon of the other (a 1-4 bond). In biochemistry, a substrate is a molecule which is acted upon by an enzyme. ... The active site of an enzyme is the binding site where catalysis occurs. ... In chemistry, a glycosidic bond is a certain type of chemical bond that joins a sugar molecule to another molecule. ...

Reference

• Solomon, Eldra P.; Berg, Linda R.; & Martin, Diana W. (2002). Biology (6th ed). Thomson Learning, Inc. ISBN 0-03-033503-5