A crude lysozyme preparation was recovered in waste from the scallop p
rocessing industry. Lysozyme was then purified 229-fold in preparative
scale by chromatography on S Sepharose and Blue Sepharose. Further pu
rification on Sephacryl S-200 resulted in a lysozyme preparation with
a specific activity of 64000 units/mg protein. The apparent molecular
mass of the partially purified lysozyme was 10 kDa as judged by gel fi
ltration. Optimum pH for lysis of Miccrococus luteus under the present
conditions was 5,2. The enzyme was very active at low temperatures. A
t 4 degrees C the scallop viscera lysozyme exhibits about 55 % of the
activity measured at 37 degrees C.