Galactose mutarotase

Another enzyme important to galactose metabolism, at least in E. coli, is galactose mutarotase. ... 

Despite the broad spectrum of distribution, the catalytic properties of the enzyme in the different species are remarkably similar. The same four sugars (D-glucose, D-galactose, D-xylose, and L-arabinose) are substrates for the enzyme from all sources (Table VI). Some changes, however, have taken place, and the marginal activity for maltose found in the lower species (67) has been lost in the mammals, whereas the relative activity towards the pentoses has become enhanced. The Km values and turnover numbers for the substrates of purified beef kidney mutarotase are given in Table V. 

Bentley and Bhate140 conducted a meritorious study of the muta-rotations of D-glucose and D-galactose in the presence and absence of the enzyme mutarotase from Penicillium notatum under a variety of conditions. For measurements of the water-catalyzed and mutarotase-catalyzed reactions at 23-24°, they found the following... 

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