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. The enzyme exhibited antifungal activity against , which was probably due to hydrolytic activity with regard to chitin in the hyphal tips. Therefore, HEX has potential for use in GlcNAc production and food preservation.