Purification and Characteristics of Two Types of Chitosanases from Aspergillus fumigatus KH-94

Two types of chitosanases produced from Aspergillus fumigatus KH-94 were purified by ion exchange and gel permeation chromatography. Molecular weights of the enzymes are 22.5 kDa (chitosanase I) and 108 kDa (chitosanase II). pI, optimum pH, and temperature of chitosanase I are 7.3, 5.5, and 70-$80^{\circ}C$, respectively, and those of chitosanase II are 4.8, 4.5~5.5, and 50~$60^{\circ}C$, respectively. Activities of both chitosanases were increased by $Mn^{2+}$ but inhibited by $Cu^{2+}$ and $Hg^{2+}$ . Chitosanase I has endo-splitting activity that hydrolyzes chitopentaose, chitohexaose, and chitosan to chitobiose, chitotriose, and chitotetraose, whereas chitosanase II has exo-splitting activity that hydrolyzes chitobiose and chitosan to glucosamine. Chitosanase II was found to have transglycosylation activity also in the reaction of 2% more chitooligosaccharides as a substrate and at the initial reaction. The higher degree of deacetylation, the stronger activities of chitosanase Iand II toward chitosans. Both chitosanases could hydrolyze chitosan and glycol chitosan but not chitin, cellulose, and carboxymethyl cellulose. To produce higher degree of polymerization of chitooligosaccharides, chitosanase I was used and yielded 80% of recovery.