N-acetyl-β-D-hexosaminidase secreted by the marine fungus Phoma glomerata

Among the ten strains of marine fungi studied, the mycelial fungus Phoma glomerata showed maximum potency in producing N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase. The conditions for fungal growth and enzyme biosynthesis were evaluated. N-Acetyl-beta-D-hexosaminidase was isolated from the culture liquid of Phoma glomerata by ion-exchange chromatography (on DEAE-cellulose and DEAE-Sephacell) and gel filtration (on Toyopearl HW-55) with a yield of 35%; the enzyme, purified 36.4-fold, had a molecular weight of 20 kDa. The homogeneity of the enzyme was confirmed by gel filtration and SDS-PAGE. Transglycosylation reactions catalyzed by the enzyme produced N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and N-acetyl-D-galactosamine with respective yields of 38 and 46%.