Salinity and temperature effects on accessibility of soluble and cross-linked insoluble xylans to endo-xylanases.

Different responses to salinity were observed for an extremely halotolerant endo-xylanase when assayed with soluble birchwood glucoronoxylan and cross-linked dyed insoluble birchwood glucoronoxylan. Shrinking of insoluble xylan particles due to increased ionic strength is proposed as the explanation. Temperature affected the xylanase activity measurement on the insoluble xylan greatly, likely due to increased enzyme accessible surface of the substrate at high temperatures.