Purification and properties of a nonspecific β-fructofuranosidase (inulinase) from the mushroom Panaeolus papillonaceus
A nonspecific β-fructofuranosidase (inulinase) was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from the culture filtrate of the mushroom Panaeolus papillonaceus. The enzyme is the first purified from a basidiomycete and consists of two subunits with a total molecular weight of 116 000. It is most active on sucrose, then on raffinose, stachyose, and inulin, in decreasing order. The sucrase/inulinase activity ratio (S/I) is 5.7. Fructose was detected as the liberated sugar from raffinose, stachyose, and inulin. The enzyme is highly thermostable with an optimum temperature range of 60–65 °C and a pH optimum of 6.0. The enzyme is stable over the pH range 4–10, and is also active over a wide pH range, exhibiting 50% activity even at pH 8.5. Iodoacetate, azide, and EDTA, at 20 mM concentration, and 1% (w/v) SDS have no effect on enzyme activity, whereas Ag+ and Hg2+ at 2 mM are highly inhibitory.