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[ This
Bernfeld P.Week’s Citation Classic®________1
Amylases, a and /3. Met/i. Enzymology 1:149-58, 1955.
(Tufts University School of Medicine. Boston, MA]
CC/NUMBER 40
I
This paper reviewed the state ofthe art of amy- already branded as “dirty” chemists. Never-
lases in the early 1950s. It described their assay, theless, amyloseand amylopedin had been ex-
purification, and properties, with particular em- tensively fractionated and purified by us, and
phasis on work of the Geneva (Switzerland) lab- many of the subfractions carefully character-
oratory, where alpha-amylases from four differ- ized. These precious products had now to be
ent sources had just been obtained in crystalline incubated with crude extracts of animal or
form. (The Sd® indicates that this paper has plant tissues, because such was, with a few ex-
been cited in over 1,165 publications.] ceptions, the state of enzymes at that time.
This was too much! And thus started the pro-
gram of purifying amylases at the Geneva
laboratory.
Fewer than a dozen enzymes had then been
Peter Bernfeld reported crystallized. By today’s standards, the
Bio-Research Institute available methods for enzyme purification
Cambridge, MA 02139 were primitive and rudimentary. Yet, within
about 10 years, alpha-amylases from four dif-
ferent sources had been obtained in crystalline
form and had been well characterized at the
July 21, 1986 Geneva laboratory. These were the amylases
from hog pancreas, human saliva, human pan-
During the late 1930s, research at the creas, and from Bacillus subtiis. Credit is due
Chemistry Department of the University of to Edmond H. Fischer, Alfred Staub, François
Geneva (Switzerland), under the late Kurt H. Duckert, and Maria Fuld, respectively, for their
Meyer, was directed toward macromolecular contributions. The results of these2 5enzyme
natural compounds, such as cellulose, starch, studies were all published in French. - When
rubber, and silk. Having received a doctoral I came to the US in 1949, I found that the work
degree in chemistry a few years earlier, I found on amylases by the Geneva group was little
myself in charge of the group working on known in this country, and I decided to write
starch. End.group determinations of the two two review
6 articles on that general subject
starch polysaccharides, amylose and amylo- matter, the second one being the paper
pectin, pointed toward a linear structure ofthe under discussion. (For a more recent review
former and 1a branched structure of the latter on amylases see reference 7.)
component. It appeared desirable to confirm Why has one of these papers become a
and expand our findings, resulting from apply- “most-cited item in its field”3 Amylases are in-
ing chemical and physicochemical methods, triguing enzymes, occurring in many different
by the use of biochemical techniques. Thus, sources, their mode of action and their sub-
research on amylases was initiated at Geneva. strates being unconventional. Most of the pub-
All participating researchers, having been lications on amylases from the Geneva labo-
trained in organic chemistry, were accustomed ratory had been in French and, hence, not
to working only with many times distilled easily accessible to many. Most important of
and/or recrystallized substances. Because of all, the above-cited paper appeared in one of
our work with high polymers, which did not the foremost publications in the field, Meth-
lend themselves to such treatment, we were ods in Enzymology.
1. Meyer K H, Weriheim M & Bernfeld P. Recherches tsr l’amidon rv. Mithylation et determination des groupes terminaux
damylose et d’asnylopcctin de mats. Rely. C7!im. Acm 23:865-75, 1940.
2. Meyer K H, Fischer E H & Bernfeld P. Sue les enzymes amylolytiques (1). L~isolementde l’o-amylase de pancr6as.
Helv. Clam Acta 30:64-78. 1947.
3. Meyer K H, Fischer E H, Staub A & Bernfeld P. Sur let enzymes amylolytiques X. Isolement et cristallisation de
l’n-amylase de salive humaine. Heir. Gum. Acta 31:2158-64. 1948.
~ - 4. Fischer E H, Duckert F & Bernfeld P. Isolemeat et csistallisation de l~a-amylasede pancreas humain. Sue let enzymes
amylolytiques XIV. Rely. CIties. Acma 33:1060-4. 1950.
5. Meyer K H, Fuld M & Bernfeld P. Purification et cristauisation de l’u-amylase he baclCrie. E.eperienfia 3:411-12. 1947.
6. Bernfeld P. Enzymes of starch degradation and synthesis. Adsan. Enrs-rnoL 12:379-428. 1951. (Cited 235 times since 1955.)

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7. French D. Ainylascs: enzymatic mechanisms. (Hoftaender A. Rabson R, Rogers P. San Pietro A, Valentine R & Wolfe R.
eds.) Trends in rhe biology offermeniosions for fuels and chemicals. New York: Plenum. 1981. P. 131-82.

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