An intracellular glucoamylase (E.C. 3.2.1.3) was purified to homogeneity from Lactobacillus amylovorus on a Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography System (FPLC) with a Mono Q ion-exchanger and two Superose 12 gel filtration columns arranged in series. The enzyme activity was quantified with a specific, chromogenic substrate, p-nitrophenyl-beta-maltoside. Preparative gel electrophoresis was then used to further purify active enzyme fractions. Native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (Native-PAGE) and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of the purified enzyme showed a single protein band of molecular weight 47 kDa. Glucoamylase activity of the purified protein was confirmed by its ability to degrade starch on a 0.025% starch-polyacrylamide gel stained with I-2/KI. Glucoamylase exhibited optimum catalytic activity at pH 6.0 and 45 degrees C, and the enzyme had an isoelectric point near 4.39. The glucoamylase contained high levels of hydrophilic amino acids, comparable to fungal glucoamylases.