Cloning of the 52-kDa chitinase gene from Serratia marcescens KCTC2172 and its proteolytic cleavage into an active 35-kDa enzyme

A chitinase gene (pCHI52) encoding the 52-kDa chitinase was isolated from a Serratia marcescens KCTC2172 cosmid library. This chitinase gene consists of 2526 bp with an open reading frame that encodes 485 amino acids. Escherichia coli harboring the pCHI52 gene secreted not only a 52-kDa but also a 35-kDa chitinase into the culture supernatant. We purified both 52-kDa and 35-kDa chitinases using a chitin affinity column and Sephacryl-S-300 gel filtration chromatography. We determined that the 17 N-terminal amino acid sequences of the 52-kDa and the 35-kDa chitinase are identical. Furthermore, a protease obtained from S. marcescens KCTC2172 cleaved the 52-kDa chitinase into the 35-kDa protein with chitinase activity. These results suggest that the 35-kDa chitinase derives from the 52-kDa chitinase by post-translational proteolytic modification. The optimal reaction temperature of 45°C and the optimal pH of 5.5 were identical for both enzymes. The specific activities of the 52-kDa and 35-kDa chitinases on natural swollen chitin were 67 μmol min⁻¹ mg⁻¹ and 60 μmol min⁻¹ mg⁻¹, respectively.     

Production and partial characterization of chitinase from a halotolerant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Planococcus rifitoensis</Emphasis> strain M2-26

This paper is the first to investigate the production and partial characterization of the chitinase enzyme from a moderately halophilic bacterium Planococcus rifitoensis strain M2-26, earlier isolated from a shallow salt lake in Tunisia. The impact of salt, salinity concentration, pH, carbon and nitrogen sources on chitinase production and activity have been determined. This is the first report on a high salt-tolerant chitinase from P. rifitoensis, since it was active at high salinity (from 5 to 30% NaCl) as well as in the absence of salt. This enzyme showed optimal activity at 70°C and retained up to 82 and 66% of its original activity at 80 or 90°C, respectively. The activity of the enzyme was also shown over a wide pH range (from 5 to 11). For characterization of the enzyme activity, the chitinase secreted in the culture supernatant was partially purified. The preliminary study of the concentrated dialysed supernatant on native PAGE showed at least three chitinases produced by strain M2-26, with highest activity approximately at 65 kDa. Thus, the thermo-tolerant and high salt-tolerant chitinases produced by P. rifitoensis strain M2-26 could be useful for application in diverse areas such as biotechnology and agro-industry.     

Thermophilic and halophilic β-agarase from a halophilic archaeon Halococcus sp. 197A

An agar-degrading archaeon Halococcus sp. 197A was isolated from a solar salt sample. The agarase was purified by hydrophobic column chromatography using a column of TOYOPEARL Phenyl-650 M. The molecular mass of the purified enzyme, designated as Aga-HC, was ~55 kDa on both SDS-PAGE and gel-filtration chromatography. Aga-HC released degradation products in the order of neoagarohexose, neoagarotetraose and small quantity of neoagarobiose, indicating that Aga-HC was a β-type agarase. Aga-HC showed a salt requirement for both stability and activity, being active from 0.3 M NaCl, with maximal activity at 3.5 M NaCl. KCl supported similar activities as NaCl up to 3.5 M, and LiCl up to 2.5 M. These monovalent salts could not be substituted by 3.5 M divalent cations, CaCl₂ or MgCl₂. The optimal pH was 6.0. Aga-HC was thermophilic, with optimum temperature of 70 °C. Aga-HC retained approximately 90 % of the initial activity after incubation for 1 hour at 65–80 °C, and retained 50 % activity after 1 hour at 95 °C. In the presence of additional 10 mM CaCl₂, approximately 17 % remaining activity was detected after 30 min at 100 °C. This is the first report on agarase purified from Archaea.     

Molecular cloning, expression, purification and characterization of thioredoxin from Antarctic sea-ice bacteria Pseudoalteromonas sp. AN178

Thioredoxin (Trx) is a highly conserved and multi-functional protein that plays a pivotal role in maintaining the redox state of the cell and in protecting the cell against oxidative stress. Trx gene from Antarctic sea-ice bacteria Pseudoalteromonas sp. AN178 was cloned and expressed as soluble protein in Escherichia coli (designated as PsTrx). Trx gene consisted of an open reading frame of 324-bp nucleotides encoding a protein of 108 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 11.88 kDa. The deduced protein included the conserved Cys–Gly–Pro–Cys active-site sequence. After purification by a single step Ni–NTA affinity chromatography, recombinant PsTrx with a high specific activity of 96.67 U/mg was obtained. The purified PsTrx had an optimal temperature and pH of 25 °C and 7.0, respectively, and showed about 55 % of the residual catalytic activity even at 0–10 °C. It had high tolerance to a wide range of NaCl concentrations (0–2 M NaCl) and was stable in the presence of H₂O₂. This research suggested that PsTrx displayed unique catalytic properties.     

Cloning, expression and characterization of a novel salt-tolerant xylanase from Bacillus sp. SN5

A xylanase gene (xyn10A) was cloned from Bacillus sp. SN5 and expressed in Escherichia coli. It encoded a 348-residue polypeptide of ~45?kDa. The deduced amino acid sequence had 68?% identity with the endo-1,4-beta-xylanase from Paenibacillus lactis 154 that belonged to family 10 of the glycoside hydrolases. Purified recombinant Xyn10A had maximum activity at 40?°C and pH 7.0, with the specific activity of 105?U/mg and a Km of 0.6?mg/ml for beechwood xylan. Xyn10A retained more than 80?% activity between 25 and 45?°C and 29?% activity at 5?°C. It exhibited the highest activity (134?%) in 0.5?M NaCl and still retained 90?% activity in 2.5?M NaCl. It retained about 87?% activity after incubation in 2?M NaCl for 24?h. The cold-active and halo-tolerant properties of Xyn10A make it promising for application in the food industry, especially in the processing of saline food and sea food.     

Large-Scale Purification,Characterization, and Spore Outgrowth Inhibitory Effect of Thurincin H,a Bacteriocin Produced by Bacillus thuringiensis SF361

Large-scale purification of the highly hydrophobic bacteriocin thurincin H was accomplished via a novel and simple two-step method: ammonia sulfate precipitation and C18 solid-phase extraction. The inhibition spectrum and stability of thurincin H as well as its antagonistic activity against Bacillus cereus F4552 spores were further characterized. In the purification method, secreted proteins contained in the supernatant of a 40 h incubated culture of B. thuringiensis SF361 were precipitated by 68 % ammonia sulfate and purified by reverse-phase chromatography, with a yield of 18.53 mg/l of pure thurincin H. Silver-stained SDS–PAGE, high-performance liquid chromatography, and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry confirmed the high purity of the prepared sample. Thurincin H exhibited a broad antimicrobial activity against 22 tested bacterial strains among six different genera including Bacillus, Carnobacterium, Geobacillus, Enterococcus, Listeria, and Staphylococcus. There was no detectable activity against any of the selected yeast or fungi. The bacteriocin activity was stable for 30 min at 50 °C and decreased to undetectable levels within 10 min at temperatures above 80 °C. Thurincin H is also stable from pH 2–7 for at least 24 h at room temperature. Thurincin H is germicidal against B. cereus spores in brain heart infusion broth, but not in Tris–NaCl buffer. The efficient purification method enables the large-scale production of pure thurincin H. The broad inhibitory spectrum of this bacteriocin may be of interest as a potential natural biopreservative in the food industry, particularly in post-processed and ready-to-eat food.     

Influence of S9 mix composition on the SOS response in Escherichia coli PQ37 by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

To investigate the variability in test results obtained with the SOS chromotest (Escherichia coli PQ37 genotoxicity assay) when varying the composition of the exogenous metabolizing system (S9 mix), we examined the influence of different S9 and NADP concentrations, of buffer pH value, of SDS concentrations, the effects of E. coli PQ37 density and centrifugation steps on the expression of β-galactosidase (βg) and alkaline phosphatase (ap) activity, the calculated induction factors (IFs) and SOS-inducing potencies (SOSIPs). Additionally we examined the metabolic potency (stability) of S9 mix when stored at 37°C before use.Initially, we used 0–5000 ng (=0–20 nmole) benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) as a reference compound for the test procedure in the presence of standard S9 mix. Subsequently, to evaluate the results of S9 mix variations we examined several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using both the standard and a modified S9 mix composition and test protocol.We observed the highest βg and ap activities and/or IFs using only 11–27 μl 9000 × g liver supernatant (S9) from Aroclor 1254-induced rats per assay (20–50% of standard amount) and calibrating the S9 mix Tris buffer to pH 7.8–8.0. 60–300 μg NADP/assay (10–50% of standard) was sufficient for optimum activation of PAHs. In contrast to previous investigations about the variability of the SOS chromotest in the absence of a metabolizing system, higher induction factors were obtained when using higher bacterial densities (12–18 × 10⁶ cfu/assay). Centrifugation steps as recommended by other investigators were not necessary when using optimum S9 amounts. The metabolic activity of S9 mix remained nearly constant approximately 20 min after preparation, but decreased to 80% of its activity in about 1 h.     

Characteristics of cold-adaptive endochitinase from Antarctic bacterium Sanguibacter antarcticus KOPRI 21702

The psychrotrophic Sanguibacter antarcticus KOPRI 21702^T, isolated from Antarctic seawater, produced a cold-adapted chitinolytic enzyme that is a new 55 kDa family 18 chitinase (Chi21702). Chi21702 exhibited high activities toward pNP-(GlcNAc)₂ and pNP-(GlcNAc)₃ with no activity for pNP-GlcNAc, indicating that it prefers chitin chains longer than dimers, just as endochitinases do. A mixture of GlcNAc and GlcNAc₂ was produced as a main product by Chi21702 activity from chitin oligosaccharides and swollen chitin, while less GlcNAc₃ was produced. These results show that Chi21702 has an endochitinase activity, randomly hydrolyzing chitin at internal sites. Chi21702 displayed chitinase activity at 0–40 °C (optimal temperature of 37 °C), maintained its activity at pH 4–11 (optimal pH of 7.6). Interestingly, Chi21702 exhibited relative activities of 40% and 60% at 0 and 10 °C, respectively, in comparison to 100% at 37 °C, which is higher than those of the previously characterized, cold-adapted, chitinases from bacterial strains.     

Functional expression and characterization of a chitinase from the marine archaeon Halobacterium salinarum CECT 395 in Escherichia coli

The HschiA1 gene of the archaeon Halobacterium salinarum CECT 395 was cloned and overexpressed as an active protein of 66.5 kDa in Escherichia coli. The protein called HsChiA1p has a modular structure consisting of a glycosyl hydrolase family 18 catalytic region, as well as a N-terminal family 5 carbohydrate-binding module and a polycystic kidney domain. The purified recombinant chitinase displayed optimum catalytic activity at pH 7.3 and 40 °C and showed high stability over broad pH (6–8.5) and temperature (25–45 °C) ranges. Protein activity was stimulated by the metal ions Mg⁺², K⁺, and Ca⁺² and strongly inhibited by Mn⁺². HsChiA1p is salt-dependent with its highest activity in the presence of 1.5 M of NaCl, but retains 20 % of its activity in the absence of salt. The recombinant enzyme hydrolysed p-NP-(GlcNAc)₃, p-NP-(GlcNAc), crystalline chitin, and colloidal chitin. From its sequence features and biochemical properties, it can be identified as an exo-acting enzyme with potential interest regarding the biodegradation of chitin waste or its bioconversion into biologically active products.     

Properties of Laccases Produced by Pycnoporus sanguineus Induced by 2,5-xylidine

Two isoforms of laccase produced from the culture supernatant of Pycnoporus sanguineus were partially purified by phenyl-Sepharose chromatography. Molecular masses of the enzymes were 80 kDa (Lac I) and 68 kDa (Lac II). Optimum activity of Lac I was at pH 4.8 and 30 °C, and Lac II was at pH 4.2 and 50 °C over 5 min reaction. The K_m values of enzymes toward syringaldazine were 10 μm (Lac I) and 8 μm (Lac II). Sodium azide inhibited Lac I (85%) and Lac II (75%) activities. Revisions requested 30 November 2005; Revisions received 26 January 2006     

Biochemical insights into a novel thermo/organo tolerant bilirubin oxidase from Thermosediminibacter oceani and its application in dye decolorization

Higher activity and stability at neutral pH and tolerance toward anions have made bilirubin oxidases (BODs) proper candidates for industrial utilizations. A putative BOD from Thermosediminibacter oceani (ToBOD) exhibited high stability over a pH range of 3.5–10.0 after heterologous expression and purification. The optimal temperature for the enzyme activity was 75 °C. ToBOD displayed a high thermostability with a half-life of 180 min at 70 °C and 120 min at 80 °C, respectively. K_m and K_cat values were 126.5 μM and 130.9 S⁻¹ for ABTS, 19.6 μM and 72.5 S⁻¹ for SGZ, and 31.2 μM and 76.2 S⁻¹ for unconjugated bilirubin, respectively. ToBOD showed tolerance to 10% and 50% (v/v) of water-miscible organic solvents and Triton X-100 as a non-ionic surfactant. In the presence of ABTS as the mediator, ToBOD decolorized malachite green (MG) and Congo red (CR) dyes at a rate of about 63% and 71%, respectively in 2 h. Decolorization was improved within 4 h at a rate of 86% and 89% for MG and CR, respectively. Structural analyses of ToBOD showed that lower folding heat capacity, folding enthalpy, folding free energy, and side-chain hydrogen bonds have a correlation with in vitro biochemical properties.     

Heterologous expression and biochemical characterization of glucose isomerase from Thermobifida fusca

Glucose isomerase (GIase) catalyzes the isomerization of d-glucose to d-fructose. The GIase from Thermobifida fusca WSH03-11 was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3), and the purified enzyme took the form of a tetramer in solution and displayed a pI value of 5.05. The temperature optimum of GIase was 80 °C and its half life was about 2 h at 80 °C or 15 h at 70 °C. The pH optimum of GIase was 10 and the enzyme retained 95 % activity over the pH range of 5–10 after incubating at 4 °C for 24 h. Kinetic studies showed that the K _m and K _cat values of the enzyme are 197 mM and 1,688 min^?1, respectively. The maximum conversion yield of glucose (45 %, w/v) to fructose of the enzyme was 53 % at pH 7.5 and 70 °C. The present study provides the basis for the industrial application of recombinant T. fusca GIase in the production of high fructose syrup.     

Production of novel halo-alkali-thermo-stable xylanase by a newly isolated moderately halophilic and alkali-tolerant Gracilibacillus sp. TSCPVG

An aerobic xylanolytic Gracilibacillus sp. TSCPVG growing at moderate to extreme salinity (1–30%) and neutral to alkaline pH (6.5–10.5) was isolated from the salt fields near Sambhar district of Rajasthan, India. β-xylanase (18.44 U/ml) and β-xylosidase (1.01 U/ml) were produced in 60 h in the GSL-2 mineral base medium with additions of (in g/l) Birchwood xylan (7.5), yeast extract (10.0), tryptone (8.0), proline (2.0), thiamine (2.0), Tween-40 (2.0) and NaCl (35) at pH 7.5, 30 °C and 180 rpm. The β-xylanase was active within a broad salinity range (0–30% NaCl), pH (5.0–10.5) and temperature (50–70 °C). It exhibited maximal activity with 3.5% NaCl, pH 7.5 at 60 °C. It was extremely halotolerant retaining more than 80% of activity at 0 and 30% NaCl and alkali-tolerant retaining 76% of activity at pH 10.5. The acetone precipitated xylanase was highly stable (100%) at variable salinities of 0–30% NaCl, pH of 5.0–10.5 and temperatures of 0–60 °C for 48 h. HPLC analysis showed xylose, arabinose and xylooligosaccharides as hydrolysis products of xylan. This is the first report on hemi-cellulose degrading halo-alkali-thermotolerant enzyme from a moderately halophilic Gram-positive Gracilibacillus species.     

Characterization flavanone 3β-hydroxylase expressed from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Populus euphratica</Emphasis> in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> and its application in dihydroflavonol production

Flavanone 3β-hydroxylase plays very important role in the biosynthesis of flavonoids. A putative flavanone 3β-hydroxylase gene (Pef3h) from Populus euphratica was cloned and over-expressed in Escherichia coli. Induction performed with 0.1 mM IPTG at 20°C led to localization of PeF3H in the soluble fraction. Recombinant enzyme was purified by Ni-NTA affinity. The optimal activity of PeF3H was revealed at pH 7.6 and 35°C. The purified enzyme was stable over pH range of 7.6–8.8 and had a half-life of 1 h at 50°C. The activity of PeF3H was significantly enhanced in the presence of Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺. The K _M and V _max for the enzyme using naringenin as substrate were 0.23 mM and 0.069 μmoles mg–1min-1, respectively. The K _m and V _max for eriodictyol were 0.18 mM and 0.013 μmoles mg^–1min^–1, respectively. The optimal conditions for naringenin bioconversion in dihydrokaempferol were obtained: OD₆₀₀ of 3.5 for cell concentration, 0.1 mM IPTG, 5 mM α-ketoglutaric acid and 20°C. Under the optimal conditions, naringenin (0.2 g/L) was transformed into 0.18 g/L dihydrokaempferol within 24 h by the recombinant E. coli with a corresponding molar conversion of 88%. Thus, this study provides a promising flavanone 3β-hydroxylase that may be used in biosynthetic applications.     

Production of Antifungal Chitinase by Aspergillus niger LOCK 62 and Its Potential Role in the Biological Control

Aspergillus niger LOCK 62 produces an antifungal chitinase. Different sources of chitin in the medium were used to test the production of the chitinase. Chitinase production was most effective when colloidal chitin and shrimp shell were used as substrates. The optimum incubation period for chitinase production by Aspergillus niger LOCK 62 was 6?days. The chitinase was purified from the culture medium by fractionation with ammonium sulfate and affinity chromatography. The molecular mass of the purified enzyme was 43?kDa. The highest activity was obtained at 40?°C for both crude and purified enzymes. The crude chitinase activity was stable during 180?min incubation at 40?°C, but purified chitinase lost about 25?% of its activity under these conditions. Optimal pH for chitinase activity was pH 6–6.5. The activity of crude and purified enzyme was stabilized by Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ ions, but inhibited by Hg²⁺ and Pb²⁺ ions. Chitinase isolated from Aspergillus niger LOCK 62 inhibited the growth of the fungal phytopathogens: Fusarium culmorum, Fusarium solani and Rhizoctonia solani. The growth of Botrytis cinerea, Alternaria alternata, and Fusarium oxysporum was not affected.     

Purification and stability characteristics of an alkaline serine protease from a newly isolated Haloalkaliphilic bacterium sp. AH-6

An alkaline protease secreting Haloalkaliphilic bacterium (Gene bank accession number EU118361) was isolated from the Saurashtra Coast in Western India. The alkaline protease was purified by a single step chromatography on phenyl sepharose 6 FF with 28% yield. The molecular mass was 40 kDa as judged by SDS-PAGE. The enzyme displayed catalysis and stability over pH 8–13, optimally at 9–11. It was stable with 0–4 M NaCl and required 150 mM NaCl for optimum catalysis at 37 °C; however, the salt requirement for optimal catalysis increased with temperature. While crude enzyme was active at 25–80 °C (optimum at 50 °C), the purified enzyme had temperature optimum at 37 °C, which shifted to 80 °C in the presence of 2 M NaCl. The NaCl not only shifted the temperature profile but also enhanced the substrate affinity of the enzyme as reflected by the increase in the catalytic constant (K _cat). The enzyme was also calcium dependent and with 2 mM Ca⁺², the activity reached to maximum at 50 °C. The crude enzyme was highly thermostable (37–90 °C); however, the purified enzyme lost its stability above 50 °C and its half life was enhanced by 30 and sevenfold at 60 °C with 1 M NaCl and 50 mM Ca⁺², respectively. The activity of the enzyme was inhibited by PMSF, indicating its serine type. While the activity was slightly enhanced by Tween-80 (0.2%) and Triton X-100 (0.05%), it marginally decreased with SDS. In addition, the enzyme was highly stable with oxidizing-reducing agents and commercial detergents and was affected by metal ions to varying extent. The study assumes significance due to the enzyme stability under the dual extremities of pH and salt coupled with moderate thermal tolerance. Besides, the facts emerged on the enzyme stability would add to the limited information on this enzyme from Haloalkaliphilic bacteria.     

Optimization of cultural conditions for the production of antifungal chitinase by Streptomyces sporovirgulis

Actinomycetes were screened from soil in the centre of Poland on chitin medium. Amongst 30 isolated strains one with high activity of chitinase was selected. It was identified as Streptomyces sporovirgulis. Chitinase activity was detected from the second day of cultivation, then increased gradually and reached maximum after 4 days. The maximum chitinase production was observed at pH 8.0 and 25–30°C in the medium with sodium caseinate and asparagine as carbon and nitrogen sources and with shrimp shell waste as inducer of enzyme. Chitinase of S. sporovirgulis was purified from a culture medium by fractionation with ammonium sulphate as well as by chitin affinity chromatography. The molecular weight of the enzyme was 27 kDa. The optimum temperature and pH for the chitinase were 40°C and pH 8.0. The enzyme activity was characterised by high stability at the temperatures between 35 and 40°C after 240 min of preincubation. The activity of the enzyme was strongly inhibited in the presence of Pb²⁺, Hg²⁺ and stabilized by the ions Mg²⁺. Purified chitinase from S. sporovirgulis inhibited growth of fungal phytopathogen Alternaria alternata. Additionally, the crude chitinase inhibited the growth of potential phytopathogens such as Penicillium purpurogenum and Penillium sp.     

Expression, reconstruction and characterization of codon-optimized carbonic anhydrase from Hahella chejuensis for CO2 sequestration application

The high production of functional carbonic anhydrase (CA) is required for practical CO₂ sequestration application mediated by CA. Here, the synthetic gene based on Escherichia coli codon usage of new α-type CA (HC-aCA) of Hahella chejuensis, a Korea marine microorganism, was highly expressed in E. coli. We obtained a high yield of functional HC-aCA by denaturing/refolding process and incorporating zinc ion into its active site. The refolded HC-aCA displayed a half-deactivation temperature of 60 °C with maximal activity at 50 °C, and had high pH stability in alkali condition with maximal activity at pH 10.0. The esterase activity of HC-aCA almost doubled at high salt concentration ranging from 0.67 to 2.0 M NaCl. HC-aCA catalyzed the conversion of CO₂ to CaCO₃ as calcites form in the presence of Ca²⁺. The refolded HC-aCA could be a promising candidate for the development of efficient CA-based CO₂ sequestration processes.     

Biochemical and structural characterization of a detergent-stable serine alkaline protease from seawater haloalkaliphilic bacteria

An extracellular protease from a newly isolated seawater haloalkaliphilic bacterium, haloalkaliphilic bacteria Ve₂-20-9₁ [HM047794], was purified and characterized. The enzyme is a monomer with a 37.2 kDa estimated molecular weight. It catalyzed reactions in the pH range 8–11 and performed optimally at pH 10. While maximal activity occurred at 50 °C, the temperature profile shifted from 50 to 80 °C in 1–3 M NaCl. The enzyme's thermal stability was probed using circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy with NaCl at 50 and 70 °C. The changes in the enzyme's secondary structure were also analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The N-terminal amino acid sequence GKDGPPGLCGFFGCI exhibited low homology with other bacterial proteases, which highlights the enzyme's novelty. The enzyme was labile in anionic surfactant (1% w/v SDS) but showed stability in non-ionic surfactants (Tween 20, Tween 80 and Triton X-100 all 1% v/v), commercial detergents, and oxidizing and reducing agents. The enzyme's excellent stability in commercial detergents highlights its potential as a detergent additive.     

Cloning,expression and characterization of highly thermo- and pH-stable maltogenic amylase from a thermophilic bacterium Geobacillus caldoxylosilyticus TK4

Maltogenic amylases (MAases), a subclass of cyclodextrin (CD)-hydrolyzing enzymes, belong to glycoside hydrolase family 13. A gene corresponding to MA in Geobacillus caldoxylosilyticus TK4 (GcaTK4MA) was cloned into pET28a(+) vector and expressed in Escherichia coli with 6xHis-tag at the N-terminus. Herein, we report on the biochemical properties of a new thermo- and pH-stable MA. GcaTK4MA has similar properties those of other MAases in terms of the primary structure, preference for CD over starch and having an extra domain at its N- and C-terminals. The recombinant protein was purified efficiently by using one-step nickel affinity chromatography. The purified enzyme exhibited optimal activity for β-CD hydrolysis at 50 °C and pH 7.0. When the enzyme was separately incubated at 4 °C and 50 °C in the buffer solutions (pH 3.0–9.0) up to 7 days, it was seen that the enzyme had the higher stability at 50 °C than 4 °C. The enzyme retained about 80% of its original activity when it was incubated at 50 °C for 7 days. The enzyme activity was significantly inhibited by SDS and EDTA at the final concentration of 1%. These results suggest that this is the first reported MA having an extremely pH- and thermal stabilities.