Purification and Substrate Specificity of Chlorophyllase from Chlorella regularis

Chlorophyllase was purified 13300-fold from a crude butanol extract of Chlorella regularis. The enzyme clearly recognizes the C132 stereochemistry of chlorophyllous pigments in that it hydrolyzes the a and b (132R) forms but not the a′ and b′ (132S) forms. No enzyme was detected in vivo that specifically hydrolyzes chlorophyll a′.