title: Isolation and characterization of disaggregatase from Methanosarcina mazei LYC.
abstract: At certain stages in its growth cycle, Methanosarcina mazei produces an enzyme (disaggregatase) that causes aggregates to separate into single cells. M. mazei S-6 and LYC both produce this enzymatic activity, although the specificities of activities differ. The disaggregatase of M. mazei S-6 had little effect on strain LYC cells, but the disaggregatase of M. mazei LYC disaggregated both strain LYC and strain S-6 cells. The disaggregatase of M. mazei LYC was purified by column chromatography, and it apparently consisted of two similar subunits with a combined molecular size of about 180,000 Da. Strain S-6 culture supernatants contained 14 U of activity per liter when activity was measured as uronic acids released from purified cell wall material. When the activity was quantified as the release of uronic acids from boiled M. mazei S-6 cells, the highest activity was found at pH 4.7 and at 35 degrees C.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles 90024.
authors.forename: L Y
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Xun
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Mah
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Boone
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D019843:Archaeal Proteins; D002848:Chromatography, DEAE-Cellulose; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D019605:Euryarchaeota / Q000201:enzymology*; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D006868:Hydrolysis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000378:metabolism; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D019843:Archaeal Proteins; D009844:Oligosaccharides; C067993:DAG protein, Methanosarcina mazei; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases