Liberation of Invertase from Disintegrated Yeast Cells

Abstract

MYRBÄCK^1,2 found that if baker's yeast was treated with ethyl acetate for 20 hr. at room, temperature and then thoroughly washed with water on the centrifuge a large proportion of its invertase activity remained in the insoluble fraction even when this was stored for several months at room temperature. It has long been known³ that only a small fraction of the total invertase can be removed from yeast cells by simple extraction procedures, some form of autolysis being needed to liberate the remainder. Myrbäck suggested that treatment with ethyl acetate removes from the cell the enzymes responsible for the autolytic release of the invertase, which therefore remains indefinitely in combination with insoluble cell structures.