Purification and characterisation of an extracellular phytase from Aspergillus niger 11T53A9

An extracellular phytase from Aspergillus niger 11T53A9 was purified about 51-fold to apparent homogeneity with a recovery of 20.3% referred to the phytase activity in the crude extract. Purification was achieved by ammonium sulphate precipitation, ion chromataography and gel filtration. The purified enzyme behaved as a monomeric protein with a molecular mass of about 85 kDa and exhibited maximal phytate-degrading activity at pH 5.0. Optimum temperature for the degradation of phytate was 55°C. The kinetic parameters for the hydrolysis of sodium phytate were determined to be K M = 54 µmol l-1...