Table 6. Uses of industrial enzymes.

Enzyme	Reaction	Source	Application
Industrial catalysts
Acid proteases	Protein digestion	Aspergillus niger, Kluyveromyces lactis	Milk coagulation in cheese manufacture
Alkaline proteases	Protein digestion	Bacillus species	Detergents and washing powders
Aminoacylase	Hydrolysis of acylated l–amino acids	Aspergillus species	Production of l–amino acids
α-Amylase	Starch hydrolysis	Bacillus species	Conversion of starch to glucose or dextrans in the food industry
Amyloglucosidase	Dextrin hydrolysis	Aspergillus species	Glucose production
β-Galactosidase	Lactose hydrolysis	Aspergillus species	Hydrolysis of lactose in milk or whey
Glucose isomerase	Conversion of glucose to fructose	Streptomyces species	High-fructose syrup production
Penicillin acylase	Penicillin side-chain cleavage	E. coli	6-APA formation for production of semi-synthetic penicillins
Therapeutic agents
l-Asparaginase	Removal of l–asparagine essential for tumour growth	E. coli	Cancer chemotherapy, particularly for leukaemia
Urokinase	Plasminogen activation	Human	Removal of fibrin clots from bloodstream
Analytic reagents
Glucose oxidase	Glucose oxidation	Aspergillus niger	Detection of glucose in blood
Luciferase	Bioluminescence	Marine bacteria or firefly	Bioluminescent assays involving ATP
Peroxidase	Dye oxidation using H2O2	Horseradish	Quantification of hormones and antibodies
Urease	Hydrolysis of urea to CO2 and NH3	Jack bean	Urea quantification in body fluids
Manipulative tools
Lysozyme	Hydrolysis of 1–4 glycosidic bonds	Hen egg white	Disruption of mucopeptide in bacterial cell walls
Nucleases	Hydrolysis of phosphodiester bonds	Various bacteria	Restriction enzymes used in genetic manipulation to cut DNA
DNA polymerases	DNA synthesis	Thermus aquaticus	DNA amplification used in the polymerase chain reaction