title: [Isolation and characterization of a marine agarase].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was carried out to isolate and characterize an agarase from a marine bacterium Agarivorans albus QM38.
  
  
  METHODS
  SDS-PAGE grade agarase was obtained from the fermentation broth after removing the bacteria by centrifugation, ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-sepharose fast flow anion exchange chromatography and Sephacryl S-100 gel filtration. Enzyme's molecular weight was determined with SDS-PAGE. The catalysates of the isolated enzyme were determined withmass spectrography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Agarase A was isolated. The molecular weight of agarase A was 127.80 kDa. More characterizations of agarase A were studied and the results showed that the optimal reaction condition for agarase A was at 35 degrees C, pH 7.6, and agar concentration of 0.9% (w/v), while most of the metal ions inhibited the activity of it. The catalysates of agarase A were mainly tetrose and hexose.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Agarase A was purified from the medium. It could hydrolyze jellied agar and yield simple catalysates. Its molecular weight is different from all the agarases reported so far.
authors.affiliation: College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China. pingguo0526@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Baoqin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Yanfei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Wanshun
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D034241:Alteromonadaceae / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D004795:Enzyme Stability; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D008970:Molecular Weight; D012623:Seawater / Q000382:microbiology*; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases; C019624:agarase