THE USE OF AGARASE FROM PSEUDOMONAS ATLANTICA IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF AGAR IN MARINE ALGAE (RHODOPHYCEAE)

Abstract

An extracellular hydrolase, specific for agar, was prepared from Pseudomonas atlantica. This enzyme hydrolyzed commercial American Difco agar, New Zealand Davis agar, and extracts from Gelidium cartilagineum, G. coulteri, G. pristoides, Pterocladia pyramidale, Gracilaria confervoides, and Suhria vittata. Extracts from algae which contain carrageenin as structural polysaccharide were not hydrolyzed. The products of enzymic hydrolysis were sugars with R galactoso of 1.35, 0.75, 0.32, 0.12, 0.07. These sugars constituted a homologous series of oligosaccharides of which neoagarobiose was the basic unit.