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Bacteria and digestive enzymes in the alimentary tract of Radix peregra (Gastropoda, Lymnaeidae)
Author(s) -
Brendelberger Heinz
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
limnology and oceanography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 197
eISSN - 1939-5590
pISSN - 0024-3590
DOI - 10.4319/lo.1997.42.7.1635
Subject(s) - biology , lysozyme , digestion (alchemy) , bacteria , digestive enzyme , microbiology and biotechnology , digestive tract , enzyme , stomach , biochemistry , lipase , chemistry , chromatography , medicine , genetics
The extracellular digestive enzymes cellobiase and chitobiase were quantitatively determined in the esophagus, stomach, and intestine of Radix peregra. Although both enzymes had comparable Michaelis constants between 16 and 32 µM liter −1 , the enzyme activities were significantly higher for cellobiase (2 nanoKatals [nKat] from the whole gut tract) than for chitobiase (0.3 nKat). As became evident after a treatment with antibiotics, chitobiase was provided by bacteria and cellobiase was synthesized in the digestive glands of the animals. A lysozyme assay indicated that R. peregra was able to digest bacterial food.