Structure of Hardwood Xylan and Specificity ofStreptomyces β-Xylanase toward the Xylan

Three kinds of xylo-oligosaccharides having structures of 3(2)-beta-xylosylxylobiose, 3(2)-beta-xylobiosylxylobiose, and 2(2)-beta-xylobiosyl-xylobiose were isolated from an enzymatic hydrolysate of hardwood xylan with Streptomyces beta-xylanase. The structures suggest that the hardwood xylan has both (1-->2)- and (1-->3)-beta-D-xylopyranosyl linkages in the structure, and the specificity of Streptomyces beta-xylanase toward the stubs is similar to that toward glucuronic acid stubs, but is somewhat different from that toward arabinose and xylosylarabinose stubs.