BETA-N-ACETYLGALACTOSAMINIDASE GENE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain the subject gene for producing β-N-acetylgalactosaminidase having high specificity to N-acetyl-β-galactosaminidase bond, and useful for elucidation of the structure of a sugar chain and biological activities thereof, by a genetic engineering technique. SOLUTION: The subject gene is an isolated DNA including a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide capable of separating N-acetyl-D galactosamine present in the nonreducing terminal of a sugar chain and bound by β-glucoside bond but not separating N acetyl D glucosamine at the nonreducing terminal and bound by the β-glucoside bond, and having β-N-acetylgalactosaminidase activities (or functionally same activities as them). The gene is obtained by culturing Bacillus sp. AT 173-1 (FERM P-15390) strain, isolating the β-N- acetylgalactosaminidase from the culturing liquid, determining the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the separated β-N-acetylgalactosaminidase, synthesizing a primer, etc., for a PCR method, and cloning the subject gene.