Invertase

Literature References: Enzymes, obtained primarily from yeast as well as other sources, which catalyze the hydrolysis of sucrose into fructose and glucose. Since sucrose is both a b-fructofuranoside and an a-glucoside, it is split by two different types of enzymes, b-fructofuranosidases or b-h-fructosidases and certain a-glucosidases or a-n-glucosidoinvertases, which attack the sucrose molecule from the fructose and glucose end, respectively. b-Fructofuranosidase, generally obtained from yeast, is characterized by its ability to hydrolyze raffinose, while a-glucosidase is inactive toward raffinose. Reviews: K. Myrbäck, "Invertases" in The Enzymes vol. 4, P. D. Boyer et al., Eds. (Academic Press, New York, 1960) pp 379-396; Lampen, "Yeast and Neurospora Invertases", ibid. vol. 5 (3rd ed., 1971) pp 291-305; Cochrane, Soc. Chem. Ind. Monogr. no. 11, 25-31 (1959) (Pub. 1961); Meister, Wallerstein Lab. Commun. 28, 7 (1965).