Algal cell wall-degrading enzymes from viscera of marine animals.

Polysaccharide-degrading enzymes were assayed for the extracts from the viscera of marine animals. Agar, alginate, κ-carrageenan, CM-cellulose, fucoidan, β-1, 4-mannan, porphylan, β-1, 3- and β-1, 4-xylans were used as substrates. Most of the tested viscera showed only low activity of the enzymes, and were useless for the source of protoplast-isolating enzymes to algal thalli. How-ever, the hepatopancreas of marine snails, topshell and abalone, possessed high activity of alginate-, CM-cellulose-, and β-1, 4-xylan-degrading enzymes. The extract from the acetone powder of topshell hepatopancreas isolated protoplast from thalli of many species of green and several of brown and red algae tested. The imperfection of protoplast-isolating activity in the extract may depend on the lack of agar-, fucoidan-, porphyran-, and β-1, 3-xylan-degrading enzymes. An addition of several microbial enzymes increased the protoplast-isolating power of the extract.