Glucan 1,4-alpha-glucosidase

• glucoamylase; amyloglucosidase; γ-amylase; lysosomal α-glucosidase; acid maltase; exo-1,4-α-glucosidase; glucose amylase; γ-1,4-glucan glucohydrolase; acid maltase; 1,4-α-D-glucan glucohydrolase

Hydrolysis of terminal (1→4)-linked α-D-glucose residues successively from non-reducing ends of the chains with release of β-D-glucose. Most forms of the enzyme can rapidly hydrolyse 1,6-α-D-glucosidic bonds when the next bond in the sequence is 1,4, and some preparations of this enzyme hydrolyse 1,6- and 1,3-α-D-glucosidic bonds in other polysaccharides. This entry covers all such enzymes acting on polysaccharides more rapidly than on oligosaccharides. EC 3.2.1.20 α-glucosidase, from mammalian intestine, can catalyse similar reactions.