title: The purification and characterization of an exo-beta (1 going to 3)-glucanohydrolase from sea urchin eggs.
abstract: An exo-beta (1 going to 3)-glucanohydrolase (EC 3.2.1.6) of sea urchin eggs (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) was purified to homogeneity by DEAE-cellulose chromatography followed by affinity chromatography on gluconolactone-Sepharose. The increase in specific activity is 800- to 1500-fold. The native enzyme exists in aggregated forms on nondenaturiung gels, with a subunit molecular weight on sodium dodecyl sulfate gels of 68,000. The enzyme is stabilized by polyethylene glycol and retains activity in 0.2% sodium dodecyl sulfate. With soluble laminarin as substrate (0.67 mg/ml), the temperature optimum is 60 degrees C (pH 6.0) and the pH optimum is 5.4 (40 degrees C). The egg glucanase does not exhibit Michaelis-Menten kinetics, exhibiting instead sigmoidal kinetics with a Hill coefficient of 1.6. The maximum velocity is 80 mumol of glucose released from soluble laminarin min-1 mg-1 protein. The half-maximum velocity (at pH 6.0, 40 degrees C) occurs at about 58 micrograms of laminarin ml-1. The glucanase is inhibited by D-1,5-gluconolactone, D-erythritol, and DL-threitol. This affinity method of glucanase purification may be important in the study of glucanases from other sources.
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D043326:Glucan 1,3-beta-Glucosidase; D005959:Glucosidases / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010063:Ovum / Q000201:enzymology*; D012617:Sea Urchins / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D005959:Glucosidases; D043326:Glucan 1,3-beta-Glucosidase