Polysaccharide-degrading enzymes from the marine protists, Thraustochytrids

Abstract

Thraustochytrids form a unique group of ubiquitous marine protists of profound ecological importance. This study dwells on their multiple polysaccharide-degrading activities. Isolates from mangrove and coastal ecosystems of Goa, India were studied for the production of eight different extracellular polysaccharidedegrading enzymes. Significant agarase and amylase activities were observed by the standard plate clearing assays. Agarase activity in thraustochytrids has not been reported to date and this study is therefore the first of its kind. The production of agarase, amylase and cellulase was also monitored by growing the isolates in the presence of different carbon sources. Significantly, the enzyme production appeared to be constitutive in most cases. In view of the fact that reports on quantitative estimation of enzyme activities from thraustochytrids (whether polysaccharide-degrading or otherwise) are scarce, investigations to this end have also been carried out and specific activities of the extracellularly produced carboxymethyl cellulase, xylanase and pectinase enzymes recorded.