[Isolation and characteristics of thermostable pullulanase from Clostridium thermohydrosulfuricum produced by Escherichia coli cells].

The expressed gene (pul) for a thermostable pullulanase from Clostridium thermohydrosulfuricum was cloned into Escherichia coli. The enzyme was purified from cell extracts of E. coli by thermoinactivation, ammonium sulphate precipitation and gel exclusion. The purified enzyme was characterized as monomer with both pullulanase and glucoamylase activities. The general physico-chemical and catalytic properties of this enzyme were obtained. In particular, pullulanase and glucoamylase activities were stable and optimally active at 65 degrees C. The pH optimum for activity was 5.8. The amino acid composition and amino acid sequence of N-terminal end were estimated.