PURIFICATION AND PROPERTIES OF AN ACID ENDO-1,4-BETA-GLUCANASE FROM BACILLUS SP KSM-330

A novel acid cellulase (endo-1,4-beta-glucanase, EC 3.2.1.4) was found in a culture of Bacillus sp. KSM-330 isolated from soil. One-step chromatography on a column of CM-Bio-Gel A yielded a homogeneous enzyme, as determined by silver staining of both sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and nondenaturing gels. The enzyme had a molecular mass of 42 kDa, as determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The isoelectric point was higher than pH 10. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the enzyme was Val-Ala-Lys-Glu-Met-Lys-Pro-Phe-Pro-Gln-Gln-Val-Asn-Tyr-Ser-Gly-Ile-Leu-Lys-Pro. This enzyme had an optimum pH for activity of 5.2, being active over an extremely narrow range of pH values, from 4.2 to 6.9; below and above these pH values no activity was detectable. The optimum temperature at pH 5.2 was around 45-degrees-C. The enzyme efficiently hydrolysed carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and lichenan, but more crystalline forms of cellulose, curdlan, laminarin, 4-nitrophenyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside and 4-nitrophenyl-beta-D-cellobioside were barely hydrolysed. The enzymic activity was inhibited by Hg2+ but was not affected by other inhibitors of thiol enzymes, such as 4-chloromercuribenzoate, N-ethylmaleimide and monoiodoacetate. N-Bromosuccinimide abolished the enzymic activity, and CMC protected the enzyme from inactivation by this tryptophan-specific oxidant. It is suggested that a tryptophan residue(s) is involved in the mechanism of action of the Bacillus cellulase and that the inhibition of enzymic activity by Hg2+ is ascribable to interactions with the tryptophan residue(s) rather than with thiol group(s).