PREPARATION OF AFFINITY SORBENTS AND ISOLATION OF INDIVIDUAL CHITINASES FROM A CRUDE SUPERNATANT PRODUCED BY STREPTOMYCES-KURSSANOVII BY A ONE-STEP AFFINITY-CHROMATOGRAPHIC SYSTEM

The preparation of two affinity-chromatography sorbents based on cross -linked chitin are described. Both sorbents retained selectively one o f the four extracellular chitinases in the culture supernatant produce d by Streptomyces kurssanovii. Chitinases with molecular masses of 42 kDa and 26 kDa were isolated in homogeneous form using one-step affini ty-chromatography procedures involving either a fully N-acetylated or a partially N-acetylated crosslinked chitin-type sorbent. Two other ch itinases were not selectively bound by the sorbents and, therefore, we re not isolated in a homogeneous form. The affinity sorbents were show n to be stable over the period of separation and could be used repeate dly.