Purification and characterization of novel extracellular endopolygalacturonases from a deep-sea yeast, Cryptococcus sp N6, isolated from the Japan Trench

Two novel endo-type polygalacturonases (PGase), with molecular weights of 3 6 kDa and 40 kDa (named p36 and p40, respectively), were purified from the supernatant of the culture medium of a deep-sea yeast, strain N6, isolated from the Japan Trench. The N-terminal 20 amino acids of p36 and p40 were id entical, and the sequence homology was 47.4% in comparison with the PGase o f Fusarium moniliforme. A treatment of p40 with glycopeptidase F reduced th e molecular weight to 36 kDa, suggesting that p40 possessed N-acetylglucosa mines on its asparagine residues and p40 might be matured by glycosylation of p36.