Purification and characterization of beta-1,3-xylanase from a marine bacterium, Alcaligenes sp. XY-234

A beta-1,3-xylanase-producing bacterium, Alcaligenes sp. XY-234, was isolat ed from the marine environment. The organism produced endo-1,3-beta-xylanas e at a high level in the culture fluid. The enzyme was purified 292-fold by ammonium sulfate precipitation and several column chromatographies. The fi nal enzyme preparation appeared to be homogeneous on disc gel electrophores is and SDS-PAGE with a molecular mass of 59 kDa, and the pI was 4.0. The en zyme hydrolyzed beta-1,3-xylan and larger xylooligosaccharides than xylobio se to give several xylooligosaccharides, but it could not hydrolyze xylobio se, p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-xyloside, and beta-1,4-xylan. The K-m of the enzym e was 4.0 mg/ml. Optimal pH and temperature were 7.5 and 40 degrees C, resp ectively. It was stable from pH 6.0 to 10 end at a temperature of less than 40 degrees C. The enzyme was strongly inhibited by 1 mM HgCl2, AlCl3, CuCl 2, FeCl3, HgCl2, Pb(CH3COO)(2), and N-bromosuccinimide.