A MONTE-CARLO SIMULATION OF THE DEPOLYMERIZATION OF LINEAR HOMOPOLYMERS BY ENDO-ENZYMES EXHIBITING RANDOM-ATTACK PROBABILITY AND SINGLE-ATTACK MECHANISM - APPLICATION TO THE (1-]3),(1-]4)-BETA-D-GLUCAN ENDO-(1-]3),(1-]4)-BETA-D-GLUCANASE SYSTEM/

A Monte Carlo simulation of the depolymerization of linear homopolymer s by specific endo-enzymes exhibiting random-attack probability and a single-attack mechanism has been developed. The program simulates the ''real'' depolymerization versus time of a polydisperse sample of subs trate by a specific endo-enzyme. Given the initial mass distribution a nd concentration of the substrate, the initial concentration of the en zyme, and its Michaelis-Menten constant, the program simulates the evo lution of the mass distribution of the substrate with the depolymeriza tion time. When tested against experimental data from the depolymeriza tion of barley (1-->3),(1-->4)-beta-D-glucan by malt endo(1-->3),(1--> 4)-beta-D-glucanase, monitored using the Calcofluor-FIA method with fl uorescent detection, excellent results were obtained. (C) 1998 John Wi ley & Sons, Inc.