A comparative study of specificity of fucoidanases from marine microorganisms and invertebrates

Specificities of actions of fucoidanases from the marine microorganism Pseudoalteromonas citrea KMM 3296 and the marine mollusk Littorina kurila were studied. The enzymes possess similar specificities and catalyze the cleavage of accessible α-(1→3)-fucoside bonds in fucoidans with highly sulfated α-(1→4; 1→3)-L-fucooligosaccharides. A high degree of sulfation of the fucose residues in fucoidans makes α-(1→3)-L-fucoside bonds inaccessible for the action of the studied enzymes. The maximum degree of cleavage of fucoidan was achieved by the fucoidanase from the marine bacterium Pseudoalteromonas citrea KMM 3296.