Purification and Properties of a Dehyrodicaffeic Acid Dilactone-forming Enzyme from a Mushroom,Inonotus sp. K-1410

A dehydrodicaffeic acid dilactone-forming enzyme was purified from the mycelia of a mushroom, Inonotus sp. K-1410 by calcium acetate treatment, ammonium sulfate precipitation and column chromatography on Sephadex G-100, DEAE-Sephadex A-50 and caffeic acid-bound AH-Sepharose 4B. The enzyme was purified about 1200-fold from a crude extract and shown to be almost completely homogeneous by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The molecular weight of this enzyme was estimated by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 to be approximately 39,000. The optimal pH for the enzymic conversion of caffeic acid to dehydrodicaffeic acid dilactone is around 6.0. The enzyme is stable up to 60°C and preincubation of the enzyme at 40°C for 10 min gives 1.5-fold activation compared with preincubation at 0°C. The optimal temperature for the enzyme reaction is 40°C.