The mechanisms of irreversible enzyme inactivation at 100C.

The mechanism of irreversible thermoinactivation of an enzyme has been quantitatively elucidated in the pH range relevant to enzymatic catalysis. The processes causing irreversible inactivation of hen egg-white lysozyme at 100 degrees C are deamidation of asparagine residues, hydrolysis of peptide bonds at aspartic acid residues., destruction of disulfide bonds, and formation of incorrect (scrambled) structures; their relative contributions depend of the pH.