Partial Characterization of α-Galactosidic Activity from the Antarctic Bacterial Isolate, Paenibacillus sp. LX-20 as a Potential Feed Enzyme Source

An Antarctic bacterial isolate displaying extracellular ${\alpha}$-galactosidic activity was named Paenibacillus sp. LX-20 based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Optimal activity for the LX-20 ${\alpha}$-galactosidase occurred at pH 6.0-6.5 and $45^{\circ}C$. The enzyme immobilized on the smart polymer Eudragit L-100 retained 70% of its original activity after incubation for 30 min at $50^{\circ}C$, while the free enzyme retained 58% of activity. The enzyme had relatively high specificity for ${\alpha}$-D-galactosides such as p-nitrophenyl-${\alpha}$-galactopyranoside, melibiose, raffinose and stachyose, and was resistant to some proteases such as trypsin, pancreatin and pronase. Enzyme activity was almost completely inhibited by $Ag^+$, $Hg^{2+}$, $Cu^{2+}$, and sodium dodecyl sulfate, but activity was not affected by ${\beta}$-mercaptoethanol or EDTA. LX-20 ${\alpha}$-galactosidase may be potentially useful as an additive for soybean processing in the feed industry.