Production, Partial Purification, and Characterization of Polygalacturonase from Aureobasidium pullulans P56 under Submerged Fermentation Using Agro-Industrial Wastes.

Polygalacturonase (PGase) production by Aureobasidium pullulans P56 under submerged fermentation was investigated using agro-industrial wastes and commercial carbon and nitrogen sources. The maximum PGase concentration was equivalent to 8.6 U/mL that was obtained in presence of citrus pectin at 150 rpm, 30 °C, pH = 5.5, and 60 h of fermentation conditions. However, a significant amount of enzyme production was also recorded upon the utilization of corncob (5.3 U/mL) and wheat bran (4.4 U/mL) as carbon sources. Amongst the different nitrogen sources, the highest enzyme production (8.2 U/mL) was obtained in presence of ammonium sulphate and yeast extract simultaneously at a ratio of 1:1. The enzyme was partially purified by gel filtration using Sephadex G50 equilibrated and washed with 50 mM-sodium acetate buffer. The obtained yield and specific activity were determined equivalent to 17% and 9.53 U/mg, respectively. The molecular weight of the partially purified enzyme was estimated as 54 kDa on SDS-PAGE. The conditions affecting the enzyme activity were determined and the highest enzyme activity was recorded at 40 °C and 4.5 pH. Amongst the tested metal ions, 2 and 5 mM of CaCl2 concentrations increased the enzymatic activity by 30%. Overall, the use of corncob (2.5%) to produce PGase by A. pullulans represents an attractive agro-industrial substrate.