Improved high thermal stability of pullulanase from a newly isolated thermophilic Bacillus sp. AN-7

A thermophilic Bacillus sp. strain AN-7, isolated from a soil in India, produced an extracellular pullulanase upon growth on starch–peptone medium. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulfate precipitation, anion exchange and gel filtration chromatography. The optimum temperature and pH for activity was 90 °C and 6.0. With half-life time longer than one day at 80 °C the enzyme proves to be thermostable in the pH range 4.5–7.0. The pullulanase from Bacillus strain lost activity rapidly when incubated at temperature higher than 105 °C or at pH lower than 4.5. Pullulanase was completely inhibited by the Hg²⁺ ions. Ca²⁺, dithiothreitol, and Mn²⁺ stimulated the pullulanase activity. Kinetic experiments at 80 °C and pH 6.0 gave V_max and K_m values of 154 U mg⁻¹ and 1.3 mg ml⁻¹. The products of pullulan were maltotriose and maltose. This proved that the purified pullulanase (pullulan-6-glucanohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.41) from Bacillus sp. AN-7 is classified under pullulanase type I. To our knowledge, this Bacillus pullulanase is the most highly thermostable type I pullulanase known to date.     

Purification and characterization of a thermostable α-galactosidase with transglycosylation activity from Aspergillus parasiticus MTCC-2796

An extracellular thermostable α-galactosidase from Aspergillus parasiticus MTCC-2796 was purified 16.59-fold by precipitation with acetone, followed by sequential column chromatography with DEAE-Sephadex A-50 and Sephadex G-100. The purified enzyme was homogeneous on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). It was found to be a monomeric protein with a molecular weight of about 67.5 kDa. The purified enzyme showed optimum activity against o-nitrophenyl-α-d-galactopyranoside (oNPG) at pH 5.0 and a temperature of 50 °C. The enzyme was thermostable, showing complete activity even after heating at 65 °C for 30 min. The enzyme showed strict substrate specificity for α-galactosides and hydrolyzed oNPG (K_m = 0.83 mM), melibiose (K_m = 2.48 mM) and raffinose (K_m = 5.83 mM). Among metal ions and reagents tested, Ca²⁺ and K⁺ enhanced the enzymatic activity, but Mg²⁺, Mn²⁺, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and 2-mercaptoethanol showed no effect, while Ag⁺, Hg²⁺ and Co²⁺ strongly inhibited the activity of the enzyme. The enzyme catalyzed the transglycosylation reaction for the synthesis of melibiose.     

Characterization of acetohydroxyacid synthase from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima

Acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) is the key enzyme in branched chain amino acid biosynthesis pathway. The enzyme activity and properties of a highly thermostable AHAS from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima is being reported. The catalytic and regulatory subunits of AHAS from T. maritima were over-expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant subunits were purified using a simplified procedure including a heat-treatment step followed by chromatography. A discontinuous colorimetric assay method was optimized and used to determine the kinetic parameters. AHAS activity was determined to be present in several Thermotogales including T. maritima. The catalytic subunit of T. maritima AHAS was purified approximately 30-fold, with an AHAS activity of approximately 160±27 U/mg and native molecular mass of 156±6 kDa. The regulatory subunit was purified to homogeneity and showed no catalytic activity as expected. The optimum pH and temperature for AHAS activity were 7.0 and 85 °C, respectively. The apparent K_m and V_max for pyruvate were 16.4±2 mM and 246±7 U/mg, respectively. Reconstitution of the catalytic and regulatory subunits led to increased AHAS activity. This is the first report on characterization of an isoleucine, leucine, and valine operon (ilv operon) enzyme from a hyperthermophilic microorganism and may contribute to our understanding of the physiological pathways in Thermotogales. The enzyme represents the most active and thermostable AHAS reported so far.     

Calcium dependent,alkaline detergent-stable trypsin from the viscera of Goby (Zosterisessor ophiocephalus): Purification and characterization

An alkaline calcium dependent trypsin from the viscera of Goby (Zosterisessor ophiocephalus) was purified to homogeneity with a 16-fold increase in specific activity and 20% recovery. The purified trypsin appeared as a single band on sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel (SDS-PAGE) and native-PAGE. The enzyme had an estimated molecular weight of 23.2 kDa.The optimum pH was 9.0, and the enzyme was extremely stable in various pH buffers between pH 7.0 and 11.0. The optimum temperature for enzyme activity was 60 °C, and the activity and stability of trypsin was highly dependent on the presence of calcium ion. At 60 °C, Ca²⁺ (5 mM) stimulated the protease activity by 220%. The trypsin kinetic constants, K_m and k_cat, were 0.312 mM and 2.03 s^?1.The enzyme showed high stability towards non-ionic surfactants and oxidizing agent. In addition, the enzyme showed excellent stability and compatibility with some commercial solid and liquid detergents.     

A thermoalkaliphilic halotolerant esterase from Rhodococcus sp. LKE-028 (MTCC 5562): Enzyme purification and characterization

A newly isolated Rhodococcus sp. LKE-028 (MTCC 5562) from soil samples of Gangotri region of Uttarakhand Himalayan produced a thermostable esterase. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity with purification fold 62.8 and specific activity 861.2 U mg^?1 proteins along with 26.7% recovery. Molecular mass of the purified enzyme was 38 kDa and values of K_m and V_max were 525 nM and 1666.7 U mg^?1 proteins, respectively. The esterase was active over a broad range of temperature (40–100 °C) and pH (7.0–12.0). The esterase was most active at pH 11.0. The optimum temperature of enzyme activity was 70 °C and the enzyme was completely stable after 3 h pre-incubation at 60 °C. Metal ions like Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and Co²⁺ stimulated enzyme activities. Purified esterase remarkably retained its activity with 10 M NaCl. Enzyme activity was slightly increased in presence of non-polar detergents (Tween 20, Tween 80 and Triton X 100), and compatible with oxidizing agents (H₂O₂) and reducing agents (β-mercaptoethanol). Activities of the enzyme was stimulated in presence of organic solvents like DMSO, benzene, toluene, methanol, ethyl alcohol, acetone, isoamyl alcohol after 10 days long incubation. The enzyme retained over 75% activity in presence of proteinase K. Besides hyperthermostability and halotolerancy the novelty of this enzyme is its resistance against protease.     

A putative proline iminopeptidase of Thermotoga maritima is a leucine aminopeptidese with lysine-p-nitroanilide hydrolyzing activity

A putative aminopeptidase P gene (TM0042, Swissport Q9WXP9, GeneBank AAD35136) of Thermotoga maritima was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (RIL). The enzyme was purified by the combination of ion exchange chromatography; Q-Sepharose and Mono-Q column. The purified recombinant T. maritima aminopeptidase P enzyme, gave a homogenous protein band with an apparent molecular weight of 40 kDa in SDS-PAGE analysis. The enzyme was purified 23-fold with the specific activity of 16.5 unit/mg with the final recovery of 22%. The enzyme was thermostable up to 90 °C for 30 min. An optimal activity was observed at 90 °C at pH 7.5. The purified enzyme was stable between pH 6.5 and 8 at 80 °C with the optimum of pH 7.5. Based on the amino acid sequence, the enzyme belongs to M 24B family of metalloenzymes. None of the divalent cations enhance the activity of the enzyme while Pb²⁺, Cu²⁺, Co²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Zn²⁺ were inhibitory to the enzyme activity. Divalent cation of Mg²⁺ showed 100% enzyme activity, to a lesser extent, Ca²⁺ and Mn²⁺ whereas strong inhibition of enzyme activity was observed with Zn²⁺ and Cd²⁺. The enzyme designated as putative aminopeptidase P was very low activity in hydrolyzing proline-p-nitroanilide. Kinetic studies on the purified enzyme confirmed that the enzyme is a leucine aminopeptidase. Enzyme also hydrolyzes lysine-p-nitroanilide with efficiency comparable to that of leucine-p-nitroanilide. This is the first report of leucine aminopeptidase with lysine-p-nitroanilide hydrolyzing activity, which belongs to the M 24B family of metalloenzymes.     

Hen egg white as a feeder protein for lipase immobilization

Enzyme stabilization via immobilization is one of the preferred processes as it provides the advantages of recovery and reusability. In this study, Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase has been immobilized through crosslinking using 2% glutaraldehyde and hen egg white, as an approach towards CLEA preparation. The immobilization efficiency and the properties of the immobilized enzyme in terms of stability to pH, temperature, and denaturants was studied and compared with the free enzyme. Immobilization efficiency of 56% was achieved with hen egg white. The immobilized enzyme displayed a shift in optimum pH towards the acidic side with an optimum at pH 4.0 whereas the pH optimum for free enzyme was at pH 6.0. The immobilized enzyme was stable at higher temperature retaining about 83% of its maximum activity as compared to the free enzyme retaining only 41% activity at 70 °C. The denaturation of lipase in free form was rapid with a half-life of 2 h at 60 °C and 58 min at 70 °C as compared to 12 h at 60 °C and 2 h at 70 °C for the immobilized enzyme. The effect of denaturants, urea and guanidine hydrochloride on the free and immobilized enzyme was studied and the immobilized enzyme was found to be more stable towards denaturants retaining 74% activity in 8 M urea and 98% in 6 M GndHCl as compared to 42% and 33% respectively in the case of free enzyme. The apparent K_m (2.08 mM) and apparent V_max (0.95 μmol/min) of immobilized enzyme was lower as compared to free enzyme; K_m (8.0 mM) and V_max (2.857 μmol/min). The immobilized enzyme was reused several times for the hydrolysis of olive oil.     

Applications of a high maltose forming,thermo-stable α-amylase from an extremely alkalophilic Bacillus licheniformis strain AS08E in food and laundry detergent industries

An alkalophilic bacterial strain was isolated from the soil sample of Assam, North-East India. This strain was found capable of growing and producing α-amylase at extremely alkaline pH (12.5). By molecular characterization, this bacterium was identified as Bacillus licheniformis strain AS08E. Statistical optimization of media components resulted in 3-fold increase in the production of α-amylase from this bacterium. From this strain, a major extracellular α-amylase of ∼55 kDa was purified to homogeneity with a 14.5-fold increase in its specific activity. The N-terminal sequence of this enzyme showed extensive identity with α-amylases purified from thermostable bacteria. The purified enzyme showed optimum activity at pH 10.0 and 80 °C, and demonstrated stability toward various surfactants, organic solvents, and commercial laundry detergents. The spectroflurometric analysis suggests that the enzyme has a strong binding affinity toward soluble starch. TLC analysis of starch degradation product displays this α-amylase as a high maltose-forming enzyme. The future application of this enzyme in food and detergent industries is highly promising.     

Purification and characterization of piceid-β-d-glucosidase from Aspergillus oryzae

The piceid-β-d-glucosidase that hydrolyzes the β-d-glucopyranoside bond of piceid to release resveratrol was isolated from Aspergillus oryzae sp.100 strain, and the enzyme was purified and characterized. The enzyme was purified to one spot in SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and its molecular weight was about 77 kDa. The optimum temperature of the piceid-β-d-glucosidase was 60 °C, and the optimum pH was 5.0. The piceid-β-d-glucosidase was stable at less than 60 °C, and pH 4.0–5.0. Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and Zn²⁺ ions have no significant effect on enzyme activity, but Cu²⁺ ion inhibits enzyme activity strongly. The K_m value was 0.74 mM and the V_max value was 323 nkat mg⁻¹ for piceid.     

Purification of keratinase from poultry farm isolate-Scopulariopsis brevicaulis and statistical optimization of enzyme activity

The fungus Scopulariopsis brevicaulis was isolated from poultry farm soil at Namakkal, India. The extracellular keratinase from this fungus was purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulphate precipitation and procedure involving DEAE-Cellulose and Sephadex G-100 chromatographic techniques. The purified enzyme was formed from a monomeric protein with molecular masses of 39 and 36 kDa by SDS–PAGE and gel filtration, respectively. The optimum pH at 40 °C was 8.0 and the optimum temperature at pH 8.0 was 40 °C. The activity of purified keratinase with respect to pH, temperature and salt concentration was optimized by Box–Behnken design experiment. It was shown that a second-order polynominal regression model could properly interpret the experimental data with an R²-value of 0.9957 and an F-value of 178.32, based on the maximum enzyme activity examined. Calculated optimum conditions were predicted to confer a 100% yield of keratinase activity with 5 mM CaCl₂, pH 8.0 and at a temperature of 40 °C. The enzyme was strongly inhibited by PMSF, which suggests a serine residue at or near an active site. The purified keratinase was examined with its potential for dehairing the skin.     

Purification and comparative characterization of monophenolase and diphenolase activities from a wild edible mushroom (Macrolepiota gracilenta)

Polyphenol oxidases (PPO) are very important enzymes group in many industrial applications, especially in food, medicine and cosmetics. PPO from Macrolepiota gracilenta, a wild edible mushroom, was purified using a Sepharose 4B-l-tyrosine-p-amino benzoic acid affinity column and characterized in terms of mono- and diphenolase activity. The highest activities for pure enzyme were observed in the presence of PHPPA and DHPPA for monophenolase and diphenolase, respectively. The enzyme showed pH optimum values at 7.0 and 5.0, respectively, for monophenolase and diphenolase activities. K_m values calculated as 0.8 mM for monophenolase and 1 mM for diphenolase activity at the presence of PHPPA and DHPPA as substrate, respectively. V_max values were calculated as 2000 U/mg protein for both activity. Monophenolase and diphenolase activities were conserved approximately 40% and 60%, respectively, in their optimum pH at 4 °C after 5 day incubation. The activities were inhibited most effectively by thiourea. The data obtained from this study showed that this enzyme could be useful for some industrial purposes.     

Isolation and biochemical characteristics of a molecular form of epididymal acid phosphatase of boar seminal plasma

The fluid of boar epididymis is characterized by a high activity of acid phosphatase (AcP), which occurs in three molecular forms. An efficient procedure was developed for the purification of a molecular form of epididymal acid phosphatase from boar seminal plasma. We focused on the epididymal molecular form, which displayed the highest electrophoretic mobility. The purification procedure (dialysis, ion exchange chromatography, affinity chromatography and hydroxyapatite chromatography) used in this study gave more than 7000-fold purification of the enzyme with a yield of 50%. The purified enzyme was homogeneous by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The purified molecular form of the enzyme is a thermostable 50 kDa glycoprotein, with a pI value of 7.1 and was highly resistant to inhibitors of acid phosphatase when p-nitrophenyl phosphate was used as the substrate. Hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl phosphate by the purified enzyme was maximally active at pH of 4.3; however, high catalytic activity of the enzyme was within the pH range of 3.5–7.0. Kinetic analysis revealed that the purified enzyme exhibited affinity for phosphotyrosine (K_m = 2.1 × 10⁻³ M) and was inhibited, to some extent, by sodium orthovanadate, a phosphotyrosine phosphatase inhibitor. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of boar epididymal acid phosphatase is ELRFVTLVFR, which showed 90% homology with the sequence of human, mouse or rat prostatic acid phosphatase.The purification procedure described allows the identification of the specific biochemical properties of a molecular form of epididymal acid phosphatase, which plays an important role in the boar epididymis.     

Production and characterization of a thermostable endo-type β-xylanase produced by a newly-isolated Streptomyces thermocarboxydus subspecies MW8 strain from Jeju Island

A xylanase-producing, Gram-positive, aerobic, and spore-forming bacterium was isolated from a soil sample collected from Jeju Island and was classified as a novel subspecies of Streptomyces thermocarboxydus on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, the results of DNA–DNA hybridization analysis, and phenotypic characteristics. The novel strain was named as S. thermocarboxydus subsp. MW8 (=KCTC29013 = DSM52054). This strain produced extracellular xylanase. Xylanase from the strain was purified to homogeneity and had an apparent molecular weight of 52 kDa. The NH₂-terminal sequence (Ala-Glu-Ile-Arg-Leu) was distinct from those of previously reported xylanases. The purified xylanase produced xylobiose as the end-product of birchwood xylan hydrolysis. The K_m and V_max values of the purified xylanase on birchwood xylan were 1.71 mg/ml and 357.14 U/mg, respectively. The optimum pH and temperature for the enzyme were found to be 7.0 and 50 °C, respectively, and the enzyme exhibited significant heat stability. In addition, the enzyme was active over broad pH ranges: 84% of the maximum activity at pH 5.0, 84–88% at pH 6.0, 88% at pH 8.0, and 75–81% (pH 9.0). These enzymatic properties may be very useful for use in bio-industrial applications.     

Characterization of a spore surface lipase from the biocontrol agent Metarhizium anisopliae

A Metarhizium anisopliae spore surface lipase (MASSL) strongly bound to the fungal spore surface has been purified by ion exchange chromatography on DEAE sepharose followed by ultrafiltration and hydrophobic interaction chromatography on phenyl sepharose. Electrophoretic analyses showed that the molecular weight of this lipase is ～66 kDa and pI is 5.6. Protein sequencing revealed that identified peptides in MASSL shared identity with several lipases or lipase-related sequences. The enzyme was able to hydrolyze triolein, the animal lipid cholesteryl stearate and all ρNP ester substrates tested with some preference for esters with a short acyl chain. The values of K_m and V_max for the substrates ρNP palmitate and ρNP laurate were respectively 0.474 mM and 1.093 mMol min^?1 mg^?1 and 0.712 mM and 5.696 mMol min^?1 mg^?1. The optimum temperature of the purified lipase was 30 °C and the enzyme was most stable within the most acid pH range (pH 3–6). Triton X-100 increased and SDS reduced enzyme lipolytic activity. MASSL activity was stimulated by Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and Co²⁺ and inhibited by Mn²⁺. The inhibitory effect on activity exerted by EDTA and EGTA was limited, while the lipase inhibitor Ebelactone B completely inhibited MASSL activity as well as PMSF. Methanol 0.5% apparently did not affect MASSL activity while β-mercaptoethanol activated the enzyme.     

Extracellular expression of a thermostable phytase (phyA) in Kluyveromyces lactis

Functional expression of a thermostable phytase from A. niger was achieved in Kluyveromyces lactis GG799 cells. Effective secretion of recombinant enzyme (198 U ml⁻¹) in the fermentation broth at 72 h incubation at 22 °C was obtained. Purified enzyme showed a specific activity of 72 U mg⁻¹) and was detected on SDS-PAGE as a heavily glycosylated protein with a molecular weight of ≥140 kDa. Optimum temperature of the enzyme was at 55 °C and it showed a characteristic bi-hump pH profile with two pH optima (at pH 2.5 and 5.5). Enzyme showed considerable pepsin resistance with 60% activity retention after incubation with pepsin at the ratio of 1:1000. Enzyme was thermostable retaining 69 and 37% activity at 90 and 100 °C for 10 min respectively and remained active at these temperatures till 1 h. Deglycosylation studies demonstrated negligible effect of N-linked glycans on thermal properties. Multiple sequence alignment data revealed a conserved Asn at position 345 of this phytase which might contribute to its thermal properties. This thermostable phytase coupled with its noticeable protease resistance could be a better alternative to current commercial phytases.     

Purification and characterization of SDG-β-d-glucosidase hydrolyzing secoisolariciresinol diglucoside to secoisolariciresinol from Aspergillus oryzae

The SDG-β-d-glucosidase that hydrolyzes the glucopyranoside bond of secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) to release secoisolariciresinol (SECO) was isolated from Aspergillus oryzae 39 strain and the enzyme was purified and characterized. The enzyme was purified to one spot in SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and its molecular weight was about 64.9 kDa. The optimum temperature of the SDG-β-d-glucosidase was 40 °C, and the optimum pH was 5.0. The SDG-β-d-glucosidase was stable at less than 65 °C, and pH 4.0–6.0. Ca²⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺ and Na⁺ ions have no significant effect on enzyme activity, Zn²⁺ and Cu²⁺ ions have weakly effect on enzyme activity, but Fe³⁺ ion inhibits enzyme activity strongly. The K_m value of SDG-β-d-glucosidase was 0.14 mM for SDG.     

A novel thermostable cellulase free xylanase stable in broad range of pH from Streptomyces sp. CS428

A cellulase free thermostable xylanase from Streptomyces sp. CS428 was isolated from a Korean soil sample, purified by single-step chromatography, and biochemically characterized. The extracellular xylanase was purified 26 fold with a 55% yield by CM Trisacryl cation exchange chromatography. The molecular mass of the enzyme (Xyn428) was approximately 37 kDa. Xyn428 was found to be stable over a broad pH range (4 to ～13.6) and to 50 °C and have an optimum temperature of 80 °C. Xyn428 had K_m and V_max values of 102.3 ± 1.2 mg/mL and 3225.4 ± 15 mmol/min mg, respectively, when beechwood xylan was used as substrate. N-terminal sequence of Xyn428 was INRTDHNENSYLEIHNNEAR. CS428 was grown on different agro waste xylan and produced 4197.1 U/mL of xylanase activity in 36 h of cultivation in wheat bran without supplements. Xyn428 activity was inhibited by Tris salt at concentrations above 20 mM, and produced xylose and xylobiose as major products. It was found to degrade agro waste materials by small unit of enzyme (20 U/g) as shown by electron microscopy. As being simple in purification, thermo tolerant, pH stability in broad range and ability to produce xylooligosaccharides show that Xyn428 has potential applications in industries as a biobleaching agent and for xylooligosaccharides production.     

A novel surfactant-stable alkaline serine-protease from a newly isolated Bacillus mojavensis A21. Purification and characterization

An extracellular bleach stable protease producing strain was isolated from marine water sample and identified as Bacillus mojavensis A21 on the basis of the 16S rRNA gene sequencing and biochemical properties. The A21 alkaline protease was purified from the culture supernatant to homogeneity using acetone precipitation, Sephadex G-75 gel filtration and CM-Sepharose ion exchange chromatography, with a 6.43-fold increase in specific activity and 16.56% recovery. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was estimated to be 20 kDa by SDS-PAGE and gel filtration. The enzyme was highly active over a wide range of pH from 7.0 to 13.0, with an optimum at pH 8.5. The relative activities at pH 11.0 and 12.0 were about 80 and 71.7% of that obtained at pH 8.5. The enzyme was extremely stable in the pH range of 7.0–12.0. It exhibited maximal activity at 60 °C. The thermostability of the enzyme was significantly increased by the addition of CaCl₂. The activity of the enzyme was totally lost in the presence of PMSF, suggesting that the purified enzyme is a serine protease.The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the first 20 amino acids of the purified protease was DINGGGATLPQKLYQTSGVL. B. mojavensis A21 protease showed low homology with bacterial peptidases, suggesting that the enzyme is a new protease.The alkaline protease showed high stability towards anionic (0.1% SDS) and non-ionic (1 and 5% Tween 80 and 1% Triton X-100) surfactants. In addition, the enzyme was relatively stable towards oxidizing agents, retaining more than 79 and 70% of its initial activity after 1 h incubation in the presence of 1% H₂O₂ and 0.1% sodium perborate, respectively. The enzyme showed excellent stability with a wide range of commercial solid and liquid detergents at 30 and 40 °C. Considering its promising properties, B. mojavensis A21 may find potential application in laundry detergents.     

Purification and partial characterisation of a thermostable xylanase from salt-tolerant Thermobifida halotolerans YIM 90462T

ThxynA, an extracellular xylanase of T. halotolerans YIM 90462^T, was purified to homogeneity from a fermentation broth by ultra-filtration, ammonium sulphate precipitation, hydrophobic chromatography and ion exchange chromatography. The purified xylanase has a molecular mass of 24 kDa and is optimally active at 80 °C and pH 6.0. The enzyme is stable over a broad pH range (pH 6.0–10.0) and shows good thermal stability when incubated at 70 °C for 1 h. The K_m and V_max values of the enzyme are 11.6 mg/mL and 434 μmol mg^?1 min^?1, respectively, using oat spelt xylan as a substrate. Moreover, the enzyme seemingly has both xylanase activity and cellulase activity. These unique properties suggest that it may be useful for industrial applications.