Abstract
An exoinulinase (${\beta}-D-fructofuranosidase$) gene was cloned by chromosome walking along the upstream region of the endoinulinase gene of Pseudomonas mucidolens isolated from soil. the exoinulinase gene consisted of an ORF of 0,506 bp encoding a polypeptide of 501 amino acids with a deduced molecular weight of 55,000. The exoinulinase produced by the recombinant Escherichia coli $DH5{\alpha}$ strain was also purified to homogeneity as determined by SDS-PAGE and a zymogram. The molecular weight of the purified exoinulinase according to both SDS-PAGE and gel filtration matched the deduced molecular weight of the protein described above, thereby indicating that the native form of the exoinulinase was a monomer. The purified enzyme hydrolyzed activity value of 2.0. Furthermore, no inulo-oligomers were liberated from the inulin substrate in the enzymatic reaction mixtures incubated for 90 min at $55^{\circ}C$. Taken together, these results indicate that the purified ${\beta}-D-fructofuranosidase$ was an exoinulinase. The pH and temperature optima of the exoinulinase were pH 6.0 and $55^{\circ}C$, respectively. the enzymehad no apparent requirement for a cofactor, and its activity was completely inactivated by $Ag^{+},{\;}Hg^{2+},{\;}and{\;}Zn^{2+}$. Kinetic experiments gave $K_m,{\;}V_{max},{\;}and{\;}K_{cat}$ values for inulin of 11.5 mM, 18 nM/s, and $72{\;}s^{-1}$, respectively. the exoinulinase was fairly stable in broad pH conditions (pH 5-9), and at pH 6.0 it showed a residual activity of about 70% after 4 h incubation at $55^{\circ}C$.