Effect of 1,2-dimethoxyethane on potato phosphorylase for polysaccharide specificity

Potato phosphorylase normally utilizes starch as a substrate but will not use glycogen effectively. In the presence of 20% 1,2-dimethoxyethane, this specificity is lost because of marked activation with glycogen and some inhibition with starch. The effect of dimethoxyethane on β-amylase was the same for both starch and glycogen. These was no contaminating enzyme that would make glycogen more “starch-like.” The 20-fold decrease in K_m for glycogen, a change in pH profile, and elimination of inhibition by cyclodextrin suggest that dimethoxyethane causes a change in phosphorylase structure.