Hydrolysis of (1->4)-beta-D-xylose residues from the reducing end of oligosaccharides
Comment
The enzyme, originally isolated from the bacterium Bacillus halodurans C-125, releases the xylose unit at the reducing end of oligosaccharides ending with the structure beta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1->4)-beta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1->4)-beta-D-xylopyranose, leaving the new reducing end in the alpha configuration. It is specific for the beta anomers of xylooligosaccharides whose degree of polymerization is equal to or greater than 3.
The penultimate residue must be beta-D-xylopyranose, but replacing either of the flanking residues with glucose merely slows the rate greatly.