Characterization of a new alpha-L-fucosidase isolated from the marine mollusk Pecten maximus that catalyzes the hydrolysis of alpha-L-fucose from algal fucoidan (Ascophyllum nodosum).

Algal fucoidan is an alpha-L-fucose-based polysaccharide endowed with important biological properties for which the structure has not yet been fully elucidated. In an attempt to implement new enzymatic tools for structural study of this polysaccharide, we have found a fucosidase activity in the digestive glands of the common marine mollusk Pecten maximus, which is active on a fucoidan extracted from the brown algae Ascophyllum nodosum. We now report the purification and characterization of this alpha-L-fucosidase (EC 3.