phosphatase subfamilies and exhibit diversity in biochemical properties, stereospeci-
ficity, and kinetics. Extracellular phytate-degrading enzymes have been identified in the
molds and yeast, whereas in bacteria, these enzymes are mainly cell-associated, except
in Bacillus and Enterobacter. In Escherichia coli, these enzymes have been reported to be
periplasmic proteins, whereas phytate-degrading activity in Selenomonas ruminantium
and Mitsuokella multiacidus was associated with the outer membrane [9e11].