Purification and partial characterisation of three endo-glucanases from dichomitus squalens

Abstract

Three endo-glucanases (En I-III) were obtained by chromatofocusing fractionation of a culture supernatant from the white-rot fungus Dichomitus squalens. They were purified further on Phenyl-Sepharose CL-4B, DEAE-Trisacryl, and Ultrogel AcA 54; ∼21-, ∼16-, and ∼9-fold purifications were obtained for En I-III, respectively. The enzymes appeared as homogeneous proteins on disc gel electrophoresis with and without SDS (sodium dodecyl sulphate), and on isoelectric focusing; the respective mol. wts. were 42,000, 56,000, and 47,000, and the isoelectric points 4.8, 4.3, and 4.1. Optimum conditions for the hydrolysis of CM-cellulose were pH 4.8 and 55° for each enzyme, and each was stable over the pH range 4.0–8.5 but inactivated completely within 30 min at 70°. None of the purified enzymes exhibited β- d-glucosidase or cellobiohydrolase activity, but En II was weakly active towards laminaran and xylan. En I and En II acted more randomly on CM-cellulose than did En III. Cellotetraose was degraded by each endo-glucanase, whereas only En III could hydrolyse cellotriose.