RESUMO
Two thermostable xylanase isoforms T60 and T80 were purified to homogeneity from the cladodes of the xerophytic Cereus pterogonus plant species. After three consecutive purification steps, the specific activity of T60 and T80 isoforms were found to be 178.6 and 216.2 U mg⻹ respectively. The molecular mass of both isoforms was determined to be 80 kDa. The optimum temperature for T60 and T80 xylanase isoforms were 60 and 80 °C respectively. The pH was 5.0 for both isoforms. The presence of divalent metal ions (10 mM Co²âº) showed stimulatory effects of both catalytic activities, where as in the presence of Hg²âº, Cd²âº, Cu²âº showed inhibitory effect on these activities at all concentrations studied. The thermodynamic analysis of xylanase activity using denaturation kinetics and the presence divalent cations at 30-100 °C, showed lower ΔH, ΔS, and ΔG values at all the temperatures investigated. The melting temperature of purified T80 xylanase isoform as determined by TG/DTA analysis and it showed the unfolding temperature was 80 °C. The g value and hyperfine (A) value purified xylanase T80 isoform was 2.017 and 10.80 respectively. Immunoblot analysis with antiserum raised against the purified T80 xylanase isoforms revealed single immunolgically related polypeptides of 80 kDa, identical with the polypeptide band produced on SDS-PAGE. The results of double immunodiffusion against the T80 isoforms showed a single precipitin line indicating that the serum used was specific to these xylanase isoforms. The kinetic and thermodynamic properties suggested that xylanase from C. pterogonus may have a potential usage in various industries.