Molecular cloning and anti-fungal effect of endo-β-1,3-glucanase from Thermotoga maritima

Abstract

A gene encoding an endo-β-1,3-glucanase from Thermotoga maritima MSB8 (TmβG) was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The purified enzyme produced various β-1,3-glucooligosaccharides from soluble laminarin, and mainly β-1,3-glucooligosaccharides smaller than laminaritetrose from insoluble curdlan. The optimum pH and temperature of the enzyme were 5.0 and 80°C, respectively. TmβG inhibited the growth of Candida albicans, which indicates that the enzyme could potentially be used as an anti-fungal agent to control invasive infections. © 2014 The Korean Society of Food Science and Technology and Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.