Biochemical and catalytic properties of an endoxylanase purified from the culture filtrate of Sporotrichum thermophile

An endo-β-1,4-xylanase (1,4-β-d-xylan xylanoxydrolase, EC 3.2.1.8) present in culture filtrates of Sporotrichum thermophile ATCC 34628 was purified to homogeneity by Q-Sepharose and Sephacryl S-200 column chromatographies. The enzyme has a molecular mass of 25,000 Da, an isoelectric point of 6.7, and is optimally active at pH 5 and at 70 °C. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) analysis showed that endo-xylanase liberates mainly xylose (Xyl) and xylobiose (Xyl2) from beechwood 4-O-methyl-d-glucuronoxylan, O-acetyl-4-O-methylglucuronoxylan and rhodymenan (a β-(1→4)-β(1→3)-xylan). Also, the enzyme releases an acidic xylo-oligosaccharide from 4-O-methyl-d-glucuronoxylan, and an isomeric xylotetraose and an isomeric xylopentaose from rhodymenan. Analysis of reaction mixtures by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) revealed that the enzyme cleaves preferentially the internal glycosidic bonds of xylooligosaccharides, [1-3H]-xylooligosaccharides and xylan. The enzyme also hydrolyses the 4-methylumbelliferyl glycosides of β-xylobiose and β-xylotriose at the second glycosidic bond adjacent to the aglycon. The endoxylanase is not active on pNPX and pNPC. The enzyme mediates a decrease in the viscosity of xylan associated with a release of only small amounts of reducing sugar. The enzyme is irreversibly inhibited by series of ω-epoxyalkyl glycosides of d-xylopyranose. The results suggest that the endoxylanase from S. thermophile has catalytic properties similar to the enzymes belonging to family 11.