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ISSN 1672-9145                                                Acta Biochim Biophys Sin 2005, 37(6): 363–370                                                   CN 31-1940/Q


Purification and Partial Characterization of b-Glucosidase from Fresh Leaves of Tea Plants (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze)

Ye-Yun LI, Chang-Jun JIANG*, Xiao-Chun WAN, Zheng-Zhu ZHANG, and Da-Xiang LI

 

Key Laboratory of Tea Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China

 

Abstract        b-Glucosidases are important in the formation of floral tea aroma and the development of resistance to pathogens and herbivores in tea plants. A novel b-glucosidase was purified 117-fold to homogeneity, with a yield of 1.26%, from tea leaves by chilled acetone and ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion exchange chromatography (CM-Sephadex C-50) and fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC; Superdex 75, Resource S). The enzyme was a monomeric protein with specific activity of 2.57 U/mg. The molecular mass of the enzyme was estimated to be about 41 kDa and 34 kDa by SDS-PAGE and FPLC gel filtration on Superdex 200, respectively. The enzyme showed optimum activity at 50 °C and was stable at temperatures lower than 40 °C. It was active between pH 4.0 and pH 7.0, with an optimum activity at pH 5.5, and was fairly stable from pH 4.5 to pH 8.0. The enzyme showed maximum activity towards pNPG, low activity towards pNP-Galacto, and no activity towards pNP-Xylo.

 

Key words        Camellia sinensis; b-glucosidase; purification; characterization

 

 

 

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 Received: December 29, 2004        Accepted: March 29, 2005

This work was supported by grants from the Key Natural Science Research Program of the Department of Education of Anhui Province (No. 2004kjl37zd) and the Key Program of Science and Technique Research of the Ministry of Education of China (No. 00182)

*Corresponding author: Tel, 86-551-5156265; Fax, 86-551-5156265; E-mail, [email protected]