Extracellular enzyme system utilized by the fungus Sporotrichum pulverulentum (Chrysosporium lignorum) for the breakdown of cellulose. 3. Purification and physico-chemical characterization of an exo-1,4-beta-glucanase.

An exo-1,4-beta-glucanase from culture solution of the rot fungus Sporotrichum pulverulentum (formerly called Chrysosporium lignorum) grown on powder cellulose as the sole carbon source has been extensively purified and characterized with respect to some physico-chemical properties. The purification has been carried out in a five-step procedure comprising chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex, gel filtration on polyacrylamide P-150, activation on a Dowex 2-X8 anion exchanger, chromatography on Concanavalin A-Sepharose and chromatography on SP-Sephadex. The purified enzyme was found to be pure and homogeneous by analytical polyacrylamide electrophoresis, by electrophoresis on dodecylsulphate gels and by analytical polyacrylamide electrophoresis, by electrophoresis on dodecylsulphate gels and by analytical isoelectric focusing. A single symmetrical peak was obtained with the free zone electrophoresis method. The purification factor is about 15 and the yield of exo-1,4-beta-glucanase activity 7%. After purification, the enzyme showed no viscosity-decreasing activity towards carboxymethyl-cellulose solutions. The exo-1,4-beta-glucanase was isoelectric at pH 4.3 (4 degrees C). A molecular weight of 48600 was calculated on the basis of a knowledge of the partial specific volume, ultracentrifugation data and the amino acid composition. The enzyme contained no carbohydrate.