A 1,4-beta-glucan glucanohydrolase from the cellulolytic fungus Trichoderma viride QM 9414. Purification, characterization and preparation of an immunoadsorbent for the enzyme.

A 1,4-beta-glucan glucanohydrolase (EC 3.2.1.4) was isolated from culture filtrates of the fungus Trichoderma viride QM 9414 by molecular-sieve chromatography on Bio-Gel P-30, ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A-50 and isoelectric focusing in a density gradient. Polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis at two different pH values, analytical isoelectric focusing in a polyacrylamide-gel slab and molecular-sieve chromatography of the reduced and alkylated enzyme in a denaturing medium indicated a homogeneous protein. The enzyme has a mol.wt. of 51,000 and is not a glycoprotein. The pI was found to be 4.66 at 23 degrees C. Antiserum against the purified enzyme was prepared and the amount of enzyme in the original filtrate was determined by rocket immunoelectrophoresis to be about 50mg/liter. An immunoadsorbent made from CNBr-activated sepharose 4B and antiserum affords a rapid and highly specific purification of the enzyme.