Mar. Drugs 2010, 8(1), 200-218; doi:10.3390/md8010200
Review

Agarase: Review of Major Sources, Categories, Purification Method, Enzyme Characteristics and Applications

Xiao Ting Fu 1 email and Sang Moo Kim 2,* email
1 College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China 2 Faculty of Marine Bioscience and Technology, Gangneung-Wonju National University, Gangneung 210-702, Korea
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 6 January 2010; in revised form: 21 January 2010 / Accepted: 25 January 2010 / Published: 26 January 2010
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enzymes from the Sea: Sources, Molecular Biology and Bioprocesses)
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Abstract: Agarases are the enzymes which catalyze the hydrolysis of agar. They are classified into α-agarase (E.C. 3.2.1.158) and β-agarase (E.C. 3.2.1.81) according to the cleavage pattern. Several agarases have been isolated from different genera of bacteria found in seawater and marine sediments, as well as engineered microorganisms. Agarases have wide applications in food industry, cosmetics, and medical fields because they produce oligosaccharides with remarkable activities. They are also used as a tool enzyme for biological, physiological, and cytological studies. The paper reviews the category, source, purification method, major characteristics, and application fields of these native and gene cloned agarases in the past, present, and future.
Keywords: agar; agarase; GH-16 family; GH-50 family; oligosaccharides

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Cite This Article

MDPI and ACS Style

Fu, X.T.; Kim, S.M. Agarase: Review of Major Sources, Categories, Purification Method, Enzyme Characteristics and Applications. Mar. Drugs 2010, 8, 200-218.

AMA Style

Fu XT, Kim SM. Agarase: Review of Major Sources, Categories, Purification Method, Enzyme Characteristics and Applications. Marine Drugs. 2010; 8(1):200-218.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fu, Xiao Ting; Kim, Sang Moo. 2010. "Agarase: Review of Major Sources, Categories, Purification Method, Enzyme Characteristics and Applications." Mar. Drugs 8, no. 1: 200-218.

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