The effect of different pectic growth substrates on beta-glucosidase in Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis lycopersici: partial purification and characterization.

Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis lycopersici produces beta-glucosidase activities when it grows on pectin and glucose. The pectins were better substrates than glucose. In the medium containing galacturonic acid or sucrose the activity was present in low levels and at the end of autolysis. A beta-glucosidase from the pectin medium was purified by ion exchange chromatography followed by gel filtration. The enzyme was a unique band of protein in SDS-PAGE and isoelectric focussing. It had a molecular weight of 86,000 and a pI of 4.8. This beta-glucosidase was a glycoprotein.