How Does Glucose Isomerase Work?

Glucose(xylose) isomerase catalyzes the reversible isomerization of glucose to fructose and that of xylose to xylulose. It is an important enzyme used in the industrial production of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) (3).

How does glucose isomerase convert glucose to fructose?

Glucose isomerase converts the products of hydrolysis of granular starch with alpha amylase and glucoamylase into d-fructose (levulose). ... The resulting syrup was then isomerized at 60 °C with immobilized glucose isomerase from Streptomyces murinus providing a product composed of 50% glucose and 50% fructose.

What is the function of isomerases?

Isomerase, any one of a class of enzymes that catalyze reactions involving a structural rearrangement of a molecule. Alanine racemase, for example, catalyzes the conversion of L-alanine into its isomeric (mirror-image) form, D-alanine.