Potential application of beta-1, 3 glucanase from an environmental isolate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa MCCB 123 in fungal DNA extraction.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa MCCB 123 was grown in a synthetic medium for beta-1,3 glucanase production. From the culture filtrate, beta-1,3 glucanase was purified with a molecular mass of 45 kDa. The enzyme was a metallozyme as its beta-1,3 glucanase activity got inhibited by the metal chelator EDTA. Optimum pH and temperature for beta-1,3 glucanase activity on laminarin was found to be 7 and 50 degrees C respectively. The MCCB 123 beta-1,3 glucanase was found to have good lytic action on a wide range of fungal isolates, and hence its application in fungal DNA extraction was evaluated. Beta-1,3 glucanase purified from the culture supernatant of P. aeruginosa MCCB 123 could be used for the extraction of fungal DNA without the addition of any other reagents generally used. Optimum pH and temperature of enzyme for fungal DNA extraction was found to be 7 and 65 degrees C respectively. This is the first report on beta-1,3 glucanase employed in fungal DNA extraction.