Isolation of <i>Agarivorans</i> sp. JSC1 and Characterization of Its α-Agarase

This report describes the isolation of an agar-degrading marine bacterium and the characterization of its agarase.The bacterium, designated JSC1, was isolated using Marine agar 2216 medium from seawater collected at the seashore of Sojuk-do, Changwon, in Gyeongnam Province, Korea.Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence designated the isolate as Agarivorans sp.JSC1.The extracellular agarase enzyme was extracted from the culture broth of Agarivorans sp.JSC1 and subjected to characterization.The enzyme exhibited relative activities of 37%, 72%, 100%, 47%, and 36% at 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60, respectively.Its relative activities at pH values 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 were 31%, 37%, 54%, 100%, 72%, 51%, and 42%, respectively.Maximum enzymatic activity (299 units/l) was observed at pH 7.0 and 40 in 20 mM GTA buffer.Residual activity after 30 min of heat treatment was 95% at 20 and over 60% at 30.After 2 h of heat treatment at 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60, residual activities were 90%, 57%, 23%, 17%, and 4%, respectively.Thin-layer chromatography analysis indicated that Agarivorans sp.JSC1 produces extracellular agarase, which hydrolyze agarose to generate agarooligosaccharides such as agarotriose (17.1%), agaropentose (63.8%), and agaroheptose (28.6%).Both Agarivorans sp.JSC1 and its -agarase show potential for the production of agarooligosaccharides with functional properties, including anticancer and antioxidant activities.