The present invention provides a protein having saponin-decomposing
activity, more specifically a protein which can decompose a glycoside
having soyasapogenol B as an aglycone to produce soyasapogenol B, a
polynucleotide encoding such a protein, and a method of producing
soyasapogenol B on a large scale using the same. A protein according to
the present invention are concerned with (a), (b) or (c), namely (a) a
protein comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group
consisting of the amino acid sequences shown in SEQ ID NOs: 2, 4, and 6;
(b) a protein that has at least 50% homology to the protein comprising
the amino acid sequence of the sequence described in (a) and having
saponin-decomposing activity; or (c) a protein comprising a modified
amino acid sequence of the sequence described in (a) that has one or more
amino acid residues deleted, substituted, inserted, or added and having
saponin-decomposing activity.