Thermostable lipase of Bacillus Stearothermophilus: high-level production, purification, and calcium-dependent thermostability

An efficient expression system was developed for the production of the thermostable lipase from Bacillus stearothermophilus L1 in an Escherichia coli system. A structural gene corresponding to mature lipase was subcloned in the pET-22b(+) expression vector and its expression was induced by IPTG at 30 degrees C in E. coli cells. The lipase activity in a cell-free extract was as high as 448,000 units/g protein, which corresponds to as much as 26% of the total cellular protein and is 77 times higher than that of E. coli RR1/pLIP1. Based on its pI (7.4) and pH stability data reported previously, the L1 lipase was efficiently purified to homogeneity with CM (at pH 6.0) and DEAE (at pH 8.8) column chromatographies with a recovery yield of 62%. The specific activity of the purified enzyme was 1700 units/mg protein when olive oil emulsion was used as a substrate. Its optimum temperature for the hydrolysis of olive oil was 68 degrees C and it was stable up to 55 degrees C for 30 min-incubation. The thermostability increased by about 8-10 degrees in the presence of calcium ions. This calcium-dependent thermostability was confirmed by the tryptophan fluorescence emission kinetics showing that the enzyme starts to unfold at 66 degrees C in the presence of calcium ions but at 58 degrees C in the absence of calcium ions, implying that the calcium ions bind to the thermostable enzyme and stabilize the protein tertiary structure even at such high temperatures.     

Isolation and characterization of NADP+-linked isocitrate dehydrogenase of germinating pea seeds (Pisum sativum)

NADP+-linked isocitrate dehydrogenase (E.C.1.1.1.42) has been purified to homogeneity from germinating pea seeds. The enzyme is a tetrameric protein (mol wt, about 146,000) made up of apparently identical monomers (subunit mol wt, about 36,000). Thermal inactivation of purified enzyme at 45 degrees and 50 degrees C shows simple first order kinetics. The enzyme shows optimum activity at pH range 7.5-8. Effect of substrate [S] on enzyme activity at different pH (6.5-8) suggests that the proton behaves formally as an "uncompetitive inhibitor". A basic group of the enzyme (site) is protonated in this pH range in the presence of substrate only, with a pKa equal to 6.78. On successive dialysis against EDTA and phosphate buffer, pH 7.8 at 0 degrees C, yields an enzymatically inactive protein showing kinetics of thermal inactivation identical to the untreated (native) enzyme. Maximum enzyme activity is observed in presence of Mn2+ and Mg2+ ions (3.75 mM). Addition of Zn2+, Cd2+, Co2+ and Ca2+ ions brings about partial recovery. Other metal ions Fe2+, Cu2+ and Ni2+ are ineffective.     

Purification and characterization of extracellular phytase from Aspergillus niger ATCC 9142

Extracellular phytase produced by Aspergillus niger ATCC 9142 was purified to homogeneity by employing an initial ultrafiltration step, followed by chromatography using ion exchange, gel filtration and chromatofocusing steps. The purified enzyme was an 84 kDa, monomeric protein. It possessed a temperature optimum of 65 degrees C, and a pH optimum of 5.0. Km and Vmax values of 100 microM and 7 nmol/s, respectively, were recorded and these values fall well within the range of those previously reported for microbial phytases. Substrate specificity studies indicated that, while the enzyme could hydrolyse a range of non-phytate-based phosphorylated substrates, its preferred substrate was phytate. Phytase activity was moderately stimulated in the presence of Mg2+, Mn2+, Cu2+, Cd2+, Hg2+, Zn2+ and F- ions. Activity was not significantly affected by Fe2- or Fe3- and was moderately inhibited by Ca2+. The enzyme displayed higher thermostability at 80 degrees C than did two commercial phytase products. Initial characterisation of the purified enzyme suggested that it could be a potential candidate for use as an animal feed supplement.     

Lactate dehydrogenase from the extreme halophilic archaebacterium Halobacterium marismortui

D-Lactate dehydrogenase from the extreme halophilic archaebacterium Halobacterium marismortui has been partially purified by ammonium-sulfate fractionation, hydrophobic and ion exchange chromatography. Catalytic activity of the enzyme requires salt concentrations beyond 1M NaCl: optimum conditions are 4M NaCl or KCl, pH 6-8, 50 degrees C. Michaelis constants for NADH and pyruvate under optimum conditions of enzymatic activity are 0.070 and 4.5mM, respectively. As for other bacterial D-specific lactate dehydrogenases, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate and divalent cations (Mg2+, Mn2+) do not affect the catalytic activity of the enzyme. As shown by gel-filtration and ultracentrifugal analysis, the enzyme under the conditions of the enzyme assay is a dimer with a subunit molecular mass close to 36 kDa. At low salt concentrations (less than 1M), as well as high concentrations of chaotropic solvent components and low pH, the enzyme undergoes reversible deactivation, dissociation and denaturation. The temperature dependence of the enzymatic activity shows non-linear Arrhenius behavior with activation energies of the order of 90 and 25 kJ/mol at temperatures below and beyond ca. 30 degrees C. In the presence of high salt, the enzyme exhibits exceptional thermal stability; denaturation only occurs at temperatures beyond 55 degrees C. The half-time of deactivation at 70 and 75 degrees C is 300 and 15 min, respectively. Maximum stability is observed at pH 7.5-9.0.     

NADP(+)-malic enzyme from sugarcane leaves: structural properties studied by thermal inactivation

The irreversible thermal inactivation of the sugarcane leaf NADP(+)-malic enzyme was studied at 50 degrees C and pH 7.0 and 8.0. Depending on the preincubation conditions, thermal inactivation followed mono- or biphasic first-order kinetics. A two-step behavior in the irreversible denaturation process was found when protein concentration was sufficiently low. The protein concentration necessary to obtain monlphasic thermal inactivation kinetics was lower at pH 8.0 than at pH 7.0. The results suggest that biphasic inactivation kinetics are the consequence of the existence of two different oligomeric forms of the enzyme (dimer and tetramer), with the dimer being more stable in regards to thermal inactivation. The effects of the substrate and essential cofactors on the thermostability and equilibrium between the dimeric and tetrameric enzyme forms were also studied. Depending on the pH, NADP+, L-malate, and Mg2+ all had a protective effect on the stability of the dimeric and tetrameric species during thermal treatment. However, these ligands showed different effects on the aggregation state of the enzyme. NADP+ and L-malate induced dissociation, especially at pH 8.0, whereas Mg2+ induced aggregation of the protein. By studying the thermal inactivation kinetics at 50 degrees C and different pH values it was observed that the equilibrium between dimers and tetramers was dramatically affected in the range of pH 7.0-8.0. These results suggest that an amino acid residue(s) in the protein with an apparent pKa value of 7.7 needs to be deprotonated to stabilize aggregation of the enzyme to the tetrameric form.     

Optimization of culture conditions for the production of thermostable polygalacturonase by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Penicillium</Emphasis> SPC-F 20

Penicillium strain isolated from citrus fruit was found to produce thermostable polygalacturonases. Optimization of process parameters resulted in high levels of enzyme production after 3 days of incubation at a pH of 5.0 at 30 degrees C in the presence of 1% pectin. The optimum temperature for enzyme activity was 60 degrees C and a pH of 5.5 was found to be the optimal pH. The enzyme showed a high level of thermostability in the presence of substrate with a residual activity of 48% after 2 h of incubation at 60 degrees C. A thermostable nature with a high pH range for activity makes it an industrially important enzyme.     

Kinetic modeling of the enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated cellulose

The production of sugars by the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose is a two-step process that includes conversion of the intermediate cellobiose to glucose by beta-glucosidase. The hydrolysis was followed by analyzing the two sugar products (cellobiose and glucose). The enzyme showed maximum activity at pH 4.8. Thermal deactivation was significant at temperatures above 45 degrees C. At 50 degrees C (optimum temperature) thermal deactivation was found to follow first-order kinetics. Several models were tested by modeling the kinetics of the reaction. Their parameter values were determined by numerical optimization, including temperature dependence. The best fitting model was a competitive product inhibition for the two reactions in the operational range.     

Effects of divalent cations on thermophilic inorganic pyrophosphatase.

Divalent cations were shown to affect the structure and thermostability of thermophilic inorganic pyrophosphatase [pyrophosphate phosphohydrolase EC 3.6.1.1] purified from Bacillus stearothermophilus and thermophilic bacterium PS-3. The properties of the enzymes from the two sources were found to be very similar. The enzymes were very unstable to heart in the absence of divalent cations, being inactivated gradually even at 40 degrees C. However, they became stable to heat denaturation in the presence of Mg2+, between pH 7.8 and 9.0. Similar induced thermostability was detected when Mn2+, Co2+, Ca2+, Cd2+, and ZN2+ were added, though the latter three cations were not essential for enzyme activity. On adding divalent cations, the optical properties such as absorption spectra, fluorescence spectra, and circular dichroism (CD) were changed. Gel filtration and disc electrophoresis revealed that the molecular weight of both enzymes was 5.4 x 10(4) in Tris-SO4 buffer and 11 x 10(4) in Tris-HCL buffer, suggesting monomer-dimer transformation. In the presence of divalent cations in Tris-SO4 fuffer, the enzymes dimerized; this was confirmed by sedimentation velocity measurements. The enzymes in Tris-HCL buffer did not show thermostability unless divalent cations were added. The results in the present study indicate that binding of divalent cations to each enzyme caused some conformational change in the vicinity of aromatic amino acid residues leading to dimerization of the enzyme molecule so that it became thermostable. It was also suggested that histidyl residues play an important role in the thermostability induced by divalent cations on the basis of the pH dependencies of thermostability and CD spectra.     

Effects of beta-cyclodextrin-dextran polymer on stability properties of trypsin

Dextran modified with the mono-6-pentylene-diamino-6-deoxy-beta-cyclodextrin derivative was evaluated as a thermoprotectant additive for trypsin. The optimum temperature for trypsin activity was increased by 7 degrees C in the presence of this polymer. The enzyme thermostability was increased from 48.5 to 64 degrees C over 10 min of incubation, and the activation free energy of thermoinactivation at 50 degrees C was increased by 4.1 kJ/mol in the presence of the additive. Trypsin was 6-fold more resistant to autolytic inactivation at alkaline pH in the presence of the polymer.     

Expression, enzymatic characterization, and high-level production of glucose isomerase from Actinoplanes missouriensis CICIM B0118(A) in Escherichia coli

High-level production of recombinant glucose isomerase (rGI) is desirable for lactulose synthesis. In this study, the xylA gene encoding glucose isomerase from Actinoplanes missouriensis CICIM B0118(A) was cloned and expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3), and high-level production was performed by optimization of the medium composition. rGI was purified from a recombinant E. coli BL21(DE3) and characterized. The optimum pH value of the purified enzyme was 8.0 and it was relatively stable within the pH range of 7.0-9.0. Its optimum temperature was around 85 degrees C, and it exhibited good thermostability when the temperature was lower than 90 degrees C. The maximum enzyme activity required the presence of both Co2+ and Mg2+, at the concentrations of 200 microM and 8 mM, respectively. With high-level expression and the simple one-step chromatographic purification of the His-tagged recombinant enzyme, this GI could be used in industrial production of lactulose as a potential economic tool.     

Critical factors to high thermostability of an alpha-amylase from hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus onnurineus NA1

Genomic analysis of a hyperthermophilic archaeon, Thermococcus onnurineus NA1 [1], revealed the presence of an open reading frame consisting of 1,377 bp similar to alpha-amylases from Thermococcales, encoding a 458-residue polypeptide containing a putative 25-residue signal peptide. The mature form of the alpha-amylase was cloned and the recombinant enzyme was characterized. The optimum activity of the enzyme occurred at 80 degrees C and pH 5.5. The enzyme showed a liquefying activity, hydrolyzing maltooligosaccharides, amylopectin, and starch to produce mainly maltose (G2) to maltoheptaose (G7), but not pullulan and cyclodextrin. Surprisingly, the enzyme was not highly thermostable, with half-life (t(1/2)) values of 10 min at 90 degrees C, despite the high similarity to alpha-amylases from Pyrococcus. Factors affecting the thermostability were considered to enhance the thermostability. The presence of Ca2+ seemed to be critical, significantly changing t(1/2) at 90 degrees C to 153 min by the addition of 0.5 mM Ca2+. On the other hand, the thermostability was not enhanced by the addition of Zn2+ or other divalent metals, irrespective of the concentration. The mutagenetic study showed that the recovery of zinc-binding residues (His175 and Cys189) enhanced the thermostability, indicating that the residues involved in metal binding is very critical for the thermostability.     

Purification and some properties of beta-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase from viscera of green crab (Scylla serrata)

Beta-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase was purified from viscera of green crab (Scylla serrata) by extraction with 0.01 M Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.5) containing 0.2 M NaCl, ammonium sulfate fractionation, and then chromatography on Sephadex G-100 and DEAE-cellulose (DE-32). The purified enzyme showed a single band on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and the specific activity was determined to be 7990 U/mg. The molecular weight of the whole enzyme was determined to be 132.0 kD, and the enzyme is composed of two identical subunits with molecular mass of 65.8 kD. The optimum pH and optimum temperature of the enzyme for the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl-N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminide (pNP-NAG) were found to be at pH 5.6 and at 50 degrees C, respectively. The study of its stability showed that the enzyme is stable in the pH range from 4.6 to 8.6 and at temperatures below 45 degrees C. The kinetic behavior of the enzyme in the hydrolysis of pNP-NAG followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics with Km of 0.424 +/- 0.012 mM and Vmax of 17.65 +/- 0.32 micromol/min at pH 5.8 and 37 degrees C, and the activation energy was determined to be 61.32 kJ/mol. The effects of some metal ions on the enzyme were surveyed, and the results show that Na+ and K+ have no effects on the enzyme activity; Mg2+ and Ca2+ slightly activate the enzyme, while Ba2+, Zn2+, Mn2+, Hg2+, Pb2+, Cu2+, and Al3+ inhibit the enzyme to different extents.     

Purification and characterization of rat liver transglutaminase

1. Transglutaminase (EC 2.3.2.13) was purified from rat liver. 2. The enzyme was stable at 25 degrees C in the pH range of 6.0-9.0, with the optimum at pH 9.0. 3. The enzyme was inactivated after incubation for 20, 4 and 1 min at 44 degrees C, 52 degrees C, and 60 degrees C, respectively. 4. Activation energies were 30.4 kcal/mol for denaturation and 19.9 kcal/mol for substrate conversion to products. 5. The enzyme was inactivated by sulfhydryl modification with hydroxymercuribenzoate (99.1%) and N-ethylmalemide (78.5%). 6. Calcium, required for the activity, was replaced to a lesser extent, by Mg2+, Sr2+, Zn2+ and Mn2+ (31.8, 27.0, 24.6 and 3.5%). 7. Steady-state kinetics showed: Vmax = 10 microM-min-1, Km = 0.05 mM (N-dimethylated casein), kcat = 31.9 min-1 kcat/Km = 560 min-1 mM-1.     

Engineered glucose isomerase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Streptomyces</Emphasis> sp. SK is resistant to Ca<Superscript>2+</Superscript> inhibition and Co<Superscript>2+</Superscript> independent

The role of two amino acid residues linked to the two catalytic histidines His54 and His220 in kinetics and physicochemical properties of the Streptomyces sp. SK glucose isomerase (SKGI) was investigated by site-directed mutagenesis and molecular modeling. Two single mutations, F53L and G219D, and a double mutation F53L/G219D was introduced into the xylA SKGI gene. The F53L mutation increases the thermostability and the catalytic efficiency and also slightly shifts the optimum pH from 6.5 to 7, but displays a profile being similar to that of the wild-type enzyme concerning the effect of various metal ions. The G219D mutant is resistant to calcium inhibition retaining about 80% of its residual activity in 10 mM Ca²⁺ instead of 10% for the wild-type. This variant is activated by Mn²⁺ ions, but not Co²⁺, as seen for the wild-type enzyme. It does not require the latter for its thermostability, but has its half-life time displaced from 50 to 20 min at 85°C. The double mutation F53L/G219D restores the thermostability as seen for the wild-type enzyme while maintaining the resistance to the calcium inhibition. Molecular modeling suggests that the increase in thermostability is due to new hydrophobic interactions stabilizing α2 helix and that the resistance to calcium inhibition is a result of narrowing the binding site of catalytic ion.     

Purification and properties of glutamine synthetase from the non-N2-fixing cyanobacterium Phormidium laminosum.

Soluble glutamine synthetase activity (L-glutamate:ammonia ligase, ADP forming, EC 6.3.1.2) was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from the filamentous non-N2-fixing cyanobacterium Phormidium laminosum (OH-1-p.Cl1) by using conventional purification procedures in the absence of stabilizing ligands. The pure enzyme showed a specific activity of 152 mumol of gamma-glutamylhydroxamate formed.min-1 (transferase activity), which corresponded to 4.4 mumol of Pi released.min-1 (biosynthetic activity). The relative molecular mass of the native enzyme was 602 kilodaltons and was composed of 12 identically sized subunits of 52 kilodaltons. Biosynthetic activity required the presence of Mg2+ as an essential activator, although Co2+ and Zn2+ were partially effective. The kinetics of activation by Mg2+, Co2+, and Zn2+ were sigmoidal, and concentrations required for half-maximal activity were 18 mM (h = 2.2), 6.3 mM (h = 5.6), and 6.3 mM (h = 2.45), respectively. However, transferase activity required Mn2+ (Ka = 3.5 microM), Cu2+, Co2+, or Mg2+ being less effective. The substrate affinities calculated for L-Glu, ammonium, ATP, L-Gln, and hydroxylamine were 15, 0.4, 1.9 (h = 0.75), 14, and 4.1 mM, respectively. Optimal pH and temperature were 7.2 and 55 degrees C for biosynthetic activity and 7.5 and 45 degrees C for transferase activity. The biosynthetic reaction mechanism proceeded according to an ordered three-reactant system, the binding order being ammonium, L-Glu, and ATP. The presence of Mn2+ or Mg2+ drastically affected the thermostability of transferase and biosynthetic activities. Heat inactivation of biosynthetic activity in the presence of Mn2+ obeyed first-order kinetics, with an Ea of 76.8 kcal (ca. 321 kJ) mol-1. Gly, L-Asp, L-Ala, L-Ser and, with lower efficiency, L-Lys and L-Met, L-Lys, and L-Glu inhibited only transferase activity. No cumulative inhibition was observed when mixtures of amino acids were used. Biosynthetic activity was inhibited by AMP (Ki= 7 mM), ADP (Ki= 2.3 mM), p-hydroxymercuribenzoate (Ki= 25 microM), and L-methionine-D, L-sulfoximine (Ki= 2 microM). The enzyme was not activated in vitro by chemically reduced Anabaena thioredoxin. This is the first report of glutamine synthetase activity purified from a filamentous non-N2-fixing cyanobacterium.     

Stabilization of cellobiase by covalent coupling to soluble polysaccharide.

Cellobiase from Aspergillus niger was glycosylated by covalent coupling to cyanogen bromide activated dextran. The conjugated enzyme retained 62% of the original specific activity exhibited by the native cellobiase. The optimum pH as well as the pH stability of the conjugated form remain almost the same as for the native enzyme. Compared to the native enzyme, the conjugated form exhibited a higher optimal reaction temperature and energy of activation, a higher K(m) (Michaelis constant) and lower Vmax (maximal reaction rate), and improved thermal stability. The thermal deactivation of the native and conjugated cellobiase obeyed the first-order kinetics. The calculated half-life values of heat inactivation at 60, 70 and 80 degrees C was 10.7, 6.25, and 4.05 h, respectively, whereas at these temperatures the native enzyme was less stable (half-life of 3.5, 1.69, and 0.83 h, respectively). The deactivation rate constant at 80 degrees C for the conjugated cellobiase is about 7.9 x 10(-2) h-1, which is lower than that of the native enzyme (36.0 x 10(-2) h-1). The activation energy for denaturation of the native enzyme is about 10.58 kcal/mol, which is 7.25 kcal/mol lower than that of the conjugated enzyme. The effect of different surfactants and some metal ions on the activity of the conjugated cellobiase has been investigated.     

极端嗜热菌Thermus thermophilus HB8中天冬氨酸转氨酶在大肠杆菌中的表达、纯化及酶学性质研究

为获得具有热稳定性的天冬氨酸转氨酶,从极端嗜热细菌Thermus thermophilus HB8中克隆得到天冬氨酸转氨酶基因aspC,并在大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)和Rosetta(DE3)中进行表达,发现在Rosetta(DE3)中具有较高的表达量。重组酶的最适反应pH是7.0,37℃下在pH8～10的缓冲液中保温1h酶活几乎不改变。重组酶反应的最适温度为75℃,酶活稳定的温度范围为25～55℃。重组酶在65℃时半衰期为3.5h,75℃时为2.5h。重组酶的KmKG为7.559mmol/L,VmaxKG为0.086mmol/(L·min),KmAsp为2.031mmol/L,VmaxAsp为0·024mmol/(L·min)。Ca2 、Fe3 、Mn2 等金属离子对酶活性有微弱抑制作用。     

Gene Cloning and Characterization of a Thermostable Phytase from Bacillus subtilis US417 and Assessment of its Potential as a Feed Additive in Comparison with a Commercial Enzyme

An extracellular phytase from Bacillus subtilis US417 (PHY US417) was purified and characterized. The purified enzyme of 41 kDa was calcium-dependent and optimally active at pH 7.5 and 55°C. The thermal stability of PHY US417 was drastically improved by calcium. Indeed, it recovered 77% of its original activity after denaturation for 10 min at 75°C in the presence of 5 mM CaCl₂, while it retained only 22% of activity when incubated for 10 min at 60°C without calcium. In addition, PHY US417 was found to be highly specific for phytate and exhibited pH stability similar to Phyzyme, a commercial phytase with optimal activity at pH 5.5 and 60°C. The phytase gene was cloned by PCR from Bacillus subtilis US417. Sequence analysis of the encoded polypeptide revealed one residue difference from PhyC of Bacillus subtilis VTTE-68013 (substitution of arginine in position 257 by proline in PHY US417) which was reported to exhibit lower thermostability especially in the absence of calcium. With its neutral pH optimum as well as its great pH and thermal stability, the PHY US417 enzyme presumed to be predominantly active in the intestine has a high potential for use as feed additive.     

Partial purification and properties of thermostable intracellular amylases from a thermophilic Bacillus sp. AK-2

Intracellular thermostable amylases from a thermophilic Baccilus sp. AK-2 have been isolated and purified. The crude enzyme, having pH optimum at 6.5. and temperature optimum at 68 degrees C was purified by DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. Three separable enzyme fractions having starch hydrolyzing property were eluted by lowering the pH from 8.5 to 7.0. Electrophoretic mobility of these fractions showed a single band. Calcium ion up to a concentration of 20 mM had an activating effect on the three fractions. The optimum temperature for the three fractions (FI, FII and FIII) was 65 degrees C and the pH optimum for each was 6.0, 6.5 and 6.0, respectively. The -SH group in the amylase molecule was essential for enzyme activity. Except for Ca2+, Mg2+, Sr2+ and Mn2+ all other metal ions studied inhibited both alpha and beta-amylase activities. EDTA showed dose dependent non-competitive inhibition. Product formation studies proved FI and FIII to be of the alpha-amylase type and FII of the beta-amylase type. The Km for the substrate (starch) in the presence or absence of EDTA was 0.8 X 10(-3) and 1.13 X 10(-3) g/ml for alpha-amylase and beta-amylase, respectively.     

Kinetic study of the irreversible thermal denaturation of Bacillus licheniformis alpha-amylase.

The irreversible thermal inactivation of Bacillus licheniformis alpha-amylase was studied. A two-step behaviour in the irreversible denaturation process was found. Our experimental results are consistent only with the two-step model and rule out the two-isoenzyme one. They suggest that the deactivation mechanism involves the existence of a temperature-dependent intermediate form. Therefore the enzyme could exist in a great number of active conformational states. We have shown that Ca2+ is necessary for the structural integrity of alpha-amylase. Indeed, dialysis against chelating agents leads to a reversible enzyme inactivation, though molecular sieving has no effect. Further, the key role of Ca2+ in the alpha-amylase thermostability is reported. The stabilizing effect of Ca2+ is reflected by the decrease of the denaturation constants of both the native and the intermediate forms. Below 75 degrees C, in the presence of 5 mM-CaCl2, alpha-amylase is completely thermostable. Neither other metal ions nor substrate have a positive effect on enzyme thermostability. The effect of temperature on the native enzyme and on one intermediate form was studied. Both forms exhibit the same optimum temperature. Identical activation parameters for the hydrolytic reaction catalysed by these two forms were found.