Organo-Mineral–Enzyme Interaction and Soil Enzyme Activity

Abstract

Although we have come to know a great deal about the structure and function of enzymes for biomedical and industrial applications, much about the “real” properties of extracellular enzymes in the soil environment remains unknown due to their complex associations with soil organic matter (OM) and minerals. Microbial and enzymatic activity, nutrient availability to plants, and the very existence of OM in soils may be attributed to the degree to which extracellular enzyme activity is inhibited by adsorption to, competitive interaction with, and occlusion within the structures of soil minerals and natural OM. This chapter outlines the broad range of enzyme–organo-mineral interactions that occur in soils and the evolution of our understanding of the mechanisms behind their varied affects on soil enzyme activity.