glycosyl hydrolase family 36 (GH36). GH36 enzymes occur in prokaryotes, eukaryotes, and archaea with a wide range of hydrolytic activities, including alpha-galactosidase, alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase, stachyose synthase, and raffinose synthase. All GH36 enzymes cleave a terminal carbohydrate moiety from a substrate that varies considerably in size, depending on the enzyme, and may be either a starch or a glycoprotein. GH36 members are retaining enzymes that cleave their substrates via an acid/base-catalyzed, double-displacement mechanism involving a covalent glycosyl-enzyme intermediate. Two aspartic acid residues have been identified as the catalytic nucleophile and the acid/base, respectively.