alpha-Mannosidase of Medicago sativa (alfalfa) was purified 1340-fold. The purification method included dialysis of the crude extract against a citrate/phosphate buffer, pH 3.9, (NH4)SO4 precipitation, hydroxyapatite chromatography, chromatography on Sephadex G-200 and finally a preparatory electrophoresis on polyacrylamide-gel gradient by Doly & Petek's [(1977) J. Chromatogr. 137. 69--81] method. Each step of purification was checked by polyacrylamide-gel disc electrophoresis. The purified enzyme showed a single band, corresponding to alpha-mannosidase activity. alpha-Mannosidase has a mol.wt. 230 000 as estimated by Hedrick & Smith's [(1968) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 126, 155--164] method and also by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate by Weber & Osborn [(1969) J. Biol. Chem. 244, 4406--4412]. The enzyme comprises four subunits of different molecular weight. Optimum pH and Km values were determined with p-nitrophenyl alpha-D-mannoside as substrate. When incubated at a temperature between 20 and 62 degrees C before assay, alpha-mannosidase initially shows an increase in activity. alpha-Mannosidase is stable when the pH is about neutrality. It can be inactivated by several metal ions, including Zn2+. At a pH below 5 the enzyme undergoes irreversible inactivation. The presence of EDTA at acid pH considerably enhances the inactivation of the enzyme. This inactivation due to EDTA can be specifically reversed by incubation with Zn2+.