Abstract

PECTIN ESTERASE OF PSEUDOMONAS PRUNICOLA 305 containing 1 ml. 15 % glycerol solution, 1-0 ml. 0-1 M-sodium acetate, 0-5 ml. 0-3 M-bicarbonate solution and 0 5 ml. of the enzyme solution. Occurrence of the back reaction would have given rise to an uptake of C02 from the system, but in fact no such uptake was observed. Under these conditions, therefore, no back reaction takes place, so that the incompleteness ofthe de-esterification cannot be due to the existence of an equilibrium between the back and forward reactions.