Isolation and characterization of the 1,4-β-d-glucan glucanohydrolases of Talaromyces emersonii

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Abstract
Culture filtrates of Talaromyces emersonii were found to contain four endocellulases termed I, II, III and IV, the last having the greatest electrophoretic mobility towards the anode in homogeneous 5%-(w/v)-polyacrylamide gels at pH 4.5. All four are glycoproteins, the carbohydrate contents being: I, 27.7%; II, 29.0%; III, 44.7%; IV, 50.8. Each form is eluted as a single peak corresponding to an Mr value of 68000 on gel filtration at pH 3.5 and as a single band corresponding to an Mr value of 35000 on reductive sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gradient-gel electrophoresis. However, we believe that the latter represents the native Mr value. The pI values for each lie between pH 2.8 and 3.2. Activity in each case is optimal at pH 5.5-5.8 and at 75-80 degrees C. Half-life values at pH5 and 75 degrees C were from 2 to 4h. The specific activity with any individual substrate was much the same for each enzyme, as was the ratio of activity from one substrate to the next. Possible reasons for the observation that plots of velocity versus substrate concentration are sigmoidal are discussed. We believe that the finding of four endocellulases reflects differential glycosylation of a single enzyme form rather than genetically determined differences in primary structure.