Characterization of a GH Family 20 Exo-β--acetylhexosaminidase with Antifungal Activity from .

We characterized HEX, which is a glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 20 exo-β--acetylhexosaminidase found in . HEX exolytically hydrolyzed chitin oligosaccharides from their non-reducing ends, and yielded -acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) as the end product. According to the initial rate of substrate hydrolysis, the rates of (GlcNAc) and (GlcNAc) hydrolysis were greater than the rates for the other oligosaccharides.