The Xylanases of Fusarium roseum

SUMMARY: The xylanase activities of 13 fungi have been investigated. Fusarium roseum produced an extracellular xylanase system, which has been fractionated by ethanol precipitation. One of the fractions had no action on cellulose and the carbohydrate-hydrolysing enzymes of this fraction have been studied; xylanase and transpentosylase activities were present. The xylanase had optimum activity at pH 6·3, was progressively deactivated above 30°; it catalysed the random scission of xylan chains. The inducible nature of cellulases is discussed.