Adsorption of cellulase from Trichoderma viride on cellulose

Effects of Colloid Milling and Hot-Water Pretreatment on Physical Properties and Enzymatic Digestibility of Oak Wood

A two-step process using colloid milling (CM) and hot water (HW) treatment was evaluated for its ability to improve xylose recovery and the enzymatic digestibility of oak wood. In the first step, CM pretreatment was applied at a milling (feeding) speed of 100 mL/min with four different milling times (3, 6, 9, and 12 h), and the enzymatic digestibility and physical properties of each substrate were measured. In the second-step, the HW pretreatment was applied to enhance the enzymatic digestibility and xylan recovery at various reaction severities (Log R0) from 2.07 to 4.43 using 12 h colloid-milled (CM-treated) oak wood. Compared with untreated oak wood, CM not only significantly disrupted the structure of oak wood but also increased its Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area (42-fold) and pore volume (28-fold). The crystallinity of two-step-treated oak wood was decreased to 34.8, while the enzymatic digestibility of 12 h CM-treated oak wood was increased to 58.1% at enzyme loading of 30 filter paper units (FPU)/g glucan for 96 h. After HW treatment of CM-treated oak wood at Log R0 = 3.83, 80.7% of xylan recovery yield and 91.1% of enzymatic digestibility (with 15 FPU/g glucan at 96 h) was obtained, which was 84.2% higher than the enzymatic digestibility of untreated oak wood (6.9%).

Interaction of enzymes with lignocellulosic materials: causes, mechanism and influencing factors

For the production of biofuel (bioethanol), enzymatic adsorption onto a lignocellulosic biomass surface is a prior condition for the enzymatic hydrolysis process to occur. Lignocellulosic substances are mainly composed of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. The polysaccharide matrix (cellulose and hemicellulose) is capable of producing bioethanol. Therefore, lignin is removed or its concentration is reduced from the adsorption substrates by pretreatments. Selected enzymes are used for the production of reducing sugars from cellulosic materials, which in turn are converted to bioethanol. Adsorption of enzymes onto the substrate surface is a complicated process. A large number of research have been performed on the adsorption process, but little has been done to understand the mechanism of adsorption process. This article reviews the mechanisms of adsorption of enzymes onto the biomass surfaces. A conceptual adsorption mechanism is presented which will fill the gaps in literature and help researchers and industry to use adsorption more efficiently. The process of enzymatic adsorption starts with the reciprocal interplay of enzymes and substrates and ends with the establishment of molecular and cellular binding. The kinetics of an enzymatic reaction is almost the same as that of a characteristic chemical catalytic reaction. The influencing factors discussed in detail are: surface characteristics of the participating materials, the environmental factors, such as the associated flow conditions, temperature, concentration, etc. Pretreatment of lignocellulosic materials and optimum range of shear force and temperature for getting better results of adsorption are recommended.

A discretized model for enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose in a fed-batch process

In the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose, several phenomena have been proposed to cause a decrease in the reaction rate with increasing conversion. The importance of each phenomenon is difficult to distinguish from batch hydrolysis data. Thus, kinetic models for the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose often suffer from poor parameter identifiability. This work presents a model that is applicable to fed-batch hydrolysis by discretizing the substrate based on the feeding time. Different scenarios are tested to explain the observed decrease in reaction rate with increasing conversion, and comprehensive assessment of the parameter sensitivities is carried out. The proposed model performed well in the broad range of experimental conditions used in this study and when compared to literature data. Furthermore, the use of data from fed-batch experiments and discretization of the model substrate to populations was found to be very informative when assessing the importance of the rate-decreasing phenomena in the model.

Temperature and substrate chemistry as major drivers of interregional variability of leaf microbial decomposition and cellulolytic activity in headwater streams

Abiotic factors, substrate chemistry and decomposers community composition are primary drivers of leaf litter decomposition. In soil, much of the variation in litter decomposition is explained by climate and substrate chemistry, but with a significant contribution of the specialisation of decomposer communities to degrade specific substrates (home-field advantage, HFA). In streams, however, HFA effects on litter decomposition have not been explicitly tested. We evaluated responses of microbial decomposition and β-glucosidase activity to abiotic factors, substrate and decomposer assemblages, using a reciprocal litter transplant experiment: 'ecosystem type' (mountain vs lowland streams) × 'litter chemistry' (alder vs reed). Temperature, pH and ionic concentration were higher in lowland streams. Decomposition for both species was faster in lowland streams. Decomposition of reed was more accelerated in lowland compared with mountain streams than that of alder, suggesting higher temperature sensitivity of decomposition in reed. Q10 (5°C-15°C) values of β-glucosidase activity were over 2. The alkaline pH and high ionic concentration of lowland streams depleted enzyme activity. We found similar relationships of decomposition or enzyme activity with abiotic factors for both species, suggesting limited support to the HFA hypothesis. Overall, our results suggest a prime role of temperature interacting with substrate chemistry on litter decomposition.

Chondroitin Lyase from a Marine Arthrobacter sp. MAT3885 for the Production of Chondroitin Sulfate Disaccharides

Chondroitin sulfate (CS) saccharides from cartilage tissues have potential application in medicine or as dietary supplements due to their therapeutic bioactivities. Studies have shown that depolymerized CS saccharides may display enhanced bioactivity. The objective of this study was to isolate a CS-degrading enzyme for an efficient production of CS oligo- or disaccharides. CS-degrading bacteria from marine environments were enriched using in situ artificial support colonization containing CS from shark cartilage as substrate. Subsequently, an Arthrobacter species (strain MAT3885) efficiently degrading CS was isolated from a CS enrichment culture. The genomic DNA from strain MAT3885 was pyro-sequenced by using the 454 FLX sequencing technology. Following assembly and annotation, an orf, annotated as family 8 polysaccharide lyase genes, was identified, encoding an amino acid sequence with a similarity to CS lyases according to NCBI blastX. The gene, designated choA1, was cloned in Escherichia coli and expressed downstream of and in frame with the E. coli malE gene for obtaining a high yield of soluble recombinant protein. Applying a dual-tag system (MalE-Smt3-ChoA1), the MalE domain was separated from ChoA1 with proteolytic cleavage using Ulp1 protease. ChoA1 was defined as an AC-type enzyme as it degraded chondroitin sulfate A, C, and hyaluronic acid. The optimum activity of the enzyme was at pH 5.5-7.5 and 40 °C, running a 10-min reaction. The native enzyme was estimated to be a monomer. As the recombinant chondroitin sulfate lyase (designated as ChoA1R) degraded chondroitin sulfate efficiently compared to a benchmark enzyme, it may be used for the production of chondroitin sulfate disaccharides for the food industry or health-promoting products.

Temperature Effects on Kinetic Parameters and Substrate Affinity of Cel7A Cellobiohydrolases

We measured hydrolytic rates of four purified cellulases in small increments of temperature (10-50 °C) and substrate loads (0-100 g/liter) and analyzed the data by a steady state kinetic model that accounts for the processive mechanism. We used wild type cellobiohydrolases (Cel7A) from mesophilic Hypocrea jecorina and thermophilic Rasamsonia emersonii and two variants of these enzymes designed to elucidate the role of the carbohydrate binding module (CBM). We consistently found that the maximal rate increased strongly with temperature, whereas the affinity for the insoluble substrate decreased, and as a result, the effect of temperature depended strongly on the substrate load. Thus, temperature had little or no effect on the hydrolytic rate in dilute substrate suspensions, whereas strong temperature activation (Q10 values up to 2.6) was observed at saturating substrate loads. The CBM had a dual effect on the activity. On one hand, it diminished the tendency of heat-induced desorption, but on the other hand, it had a pronounced negative effect on the maximal rate, which was 2-fold larger in variants without CBM throughout the investigated temperature range. We conclude that although the CBM is beneficial for affinity it slows down the catalytic process. Cel7A from the thermophilic organism was moderately more activated by temperature than the mesophilic analog. This is in accord with general theories on enzyme temperature adaptation and possibly relevant information for the selection of technical cellulases.

Relative extents of activity loss between enzyme-substrate interactions and combined environmental mechanisms

Enzymatic hydrolysis of biomass undergoes a significant decrease in rate, which is often attributed to activity loss of enzyme during the incubation. Activity loss due to both interaction with substrate (for example inactivation of adsorbed enzyme) and all combined environmental mechanisms in a substrate free buffer solution were compared in this study. Enzyme-substrate interactions contributed more towards the overall activity loss than did the combined environmental sources as evidenced from three independent metrics. (1) Relative extents of inactivation were higher for enzyme-substrate interactions than for environmental mechanisms. (2) Apparent half-lives (1.37-11.01 h) following interaction with substrate were relatively small compared to environmental inactivation, which was 21.5h. (3) The inactivation rate constant for enzyme-substrate interactions (0.56 h(-1)) was 46 times higher than that of environmental inactivation (0.0123 h(-1)). These results suggest enzyme-substrate interaction is the main cause of cellulase activity loss and contributes significantly to the slow rate of hydrolysis.

Rapid saccharification for production of cellulosic biofuels

The economical production of biofuels is hindered by the recalcitrance of lignocellulose to processing, causing high consumption of processing enzymes and impeding hydrolysis of pretreated lignocellulosic biomass. We determined the major rate-limiting factor in the hydrolysis of popping pre-treated rice straw (PPRS) by examining cellulase adsorption to lignin and cellulose, amorphogenesis of PPRS, and re-hydrolysis. Based on the results, equivalence between enzyme loading and the open structural area of cellulose was required to significantly increase productive adsorption of cellulase and to accelerate enzymatic saccharification of PPRS. Amorphogenesis of PPRS by phosphoric acid treatment to expand open structural area of the cellulose fibers resulted in twofold higher cellulase adsorption and increased the yield of the first re-hydrolysis step from 13% to 46%. The total yield from PPRS was increased to 84% after 3h. These results provide evidence that cellulose structure is one of major effects on the enzymatic hydrolysis.

Bioenergy grass feedstock: current options and prospects for trait improvement using emerging genetic, genomic, and systems biology toolkits

For lignocellulosic bioenergy to become a viable alternative to traditional energy production methods, rapid increases in conversion efficiency and biomass yield must be achieved. Increased productivity in bioenergy production can be achieved through concomitant gains in processing efficiency as well as genetic improvement of feedstock that have the potential for bioenergy production at an industrial scale. The purpose of this review is to explore the genetic and genomic resource landscape for the improvement of a specific bioenergy feedstock group, the C4 bioenergy grasses. First, bioenergy grass feedstock traits relevant to biochemical conversion are examined. Then we outline genetic resources available bioenergy grasses for mapping bioenergy traits to DNA markers and genes. This is followed by a discussion of genomic tools and how they can be applied to understanding bioenergy grass feedstock trait genetic mechanisms leading to further improvement opportunities.

Enhancement of enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose by surfactant

Effects of surfactants on enzymatic saccharification of cellulose have been studied. Nonionic, amphoteric, and cationic surfactants enhanced the saccharification, while anionic surfactant did not. Cationic and anionic surfactants denatured cellulase in their relatively low concentrations, namely, more than 0.008 and 0.001%, respectively. Using nonionic surfactant Tween 20, which is most effective to the enhancement (e.g., the fractional conversion attained by 72 h saccharification of 5 wt % Avicel in the presence of 0.05 wt % Tween 20 is increased by 35%), actions of surfactant have been examined. As the results, it was suggested that Tween 20 plays an important role in the hydrolysis of crystalline cellulose and that Tween 20 disturbs the adsorption of endoglucanase on cellulose, i.e., varies the adsorption balance of endo- and exoglucanase, resulting in enhancing the reaction. The influence of Tween 20 to the saccharification was found to remain in simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of Avicel.

Numerical analysis of the impact of structural changes in cellulosic substrates on enzymatic saccharification

Here, a simple cellulose conversion model that considers the cellulose surface area and surface density of adsorbed cellulase as substrate-derived and cellulase-derived factors controlling reaction rates is provided. Microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel) and delignifed softwood were used as controls, and structure-modified samples were prepared. It was shown that the initial cellulose conversion rate is largely controlled by the cellulose surface area. Moreover, the proposed model demonstrates that increases in cellulose surface area reduce retardation of the cellulase reaction. The proposed model was used to estimate the impact of structural changes in a substrate (i.e., cellulose surface area) by pre-treatment on enzymatic saccharification. It was found that increasing the cellulose surface area is the most effective way to optimize enzymatic saccharification of cellulose substrates.

How recombinant swollenin from Kluyveromyces lactis affects cellulosic substrates and accelerates their hydrolysis

BACKGROUND

In order to generate biofuels, insoluble cellulosic substrates are pretreated and subsequently hydrolyzed with cellulases. One way to pretreat cellulose in a safe and environmentally friendly manner is to apply, under mild conditions, non-hydrolyzing proteins such as swollenin - naturally produced in low yields by the fungus Trichoderma reesei. To yield sufficient swollenin for industrial applications, the first aim of this study is to present a new way of producing recombinant swollenin. The main objective is to show how swollenin quantitatively affects relevant physical properties of cellulosic substrates and how it affects subsequent hydrolysis.

RESULTS

After expression in the yeast Kluyveromyces lactis, the resulting swollenin was purified. The adsorption parameters of the recombinant swollenin onto cellulose were quantified for the first time and were comparable to those of individual cellulases from T. reesei. Four different insoluble cellulosic substrates were then pretreated with swollenin. At first, it could be qualitatively shown by macroscopic evaluation and microscopy that swollenin caused deagglomeration of bigger cellulose agglomerates as well as dispersion of cellulose microfibrils (amorphogenesis). Afterwards, the effects of swollenin on cellulose particle size, maximum cellulase adsorption and cellulose crystallinity were quantified. The pretreatment with swollenin resulted in a significant decrease in particle size of the cellulosic substrates as well as in their crystallinity, thereby substantially increasing maximum cellulase adsorption onto these substrates. Subsequently, the pretreated cellulosic substrates were hydrolyzed with cellulases. Here, pretreatment of cellulosic substrates with swollenin, even in non-saturating concentrations, significantly accelerated the hydrolysis. By correlating particle size and crystallinity of the cellulosic substrates with initial hydrolysis rates, it could be shown that the swollenin-induced reduction in particle size and crystallinity resulted in high cellulose hydrolysis rates.

CONCLUSIONS

Recombinant swollenin can be easily produced with the robust yeast K. lactis. Moreover, swollenin induces deagglomeration of cellulose agglomerates as well as amorphogenesis (decrystallization). For the first time, this study quantifies and elucidates in detail how swollenin affects different cellulosic substrates and their hydrolysis.

Practical screening of purified cellobiohydrolases and endoglucanases with α-cellulose and specification of hydrodynamics

BACKGROUND

It is important to generate biofuels and society must be weaned from its dependency on fossil fuels. In order to produce biofuels, lignocellulose is pretreated and the resulting cellulose is hydrolyzed by cellulases such as cellobiohydrolases (CBH) and endoglucanases (EG). Until now, the biofuel industry has usually applied impractical celluloses to screen for cellulases capable of degrading naturally occurring, insoluble cellulose. This study investigates how these cellulases adsorb and hydrolyze insoluble α-cellulose - considered to be a more practical substrate which mimics the alkaline-pretreated biomass used in biorefineries. Moreover, this study investigates how hydrodynamics affects cellulase adsorption and activity onto α-cellulose.

RESULTS

First, the cellulases CBH I, CBH II, EG I and EG II were purified from Trichoderma reesei and CBH I and EG I were utilized in order to study and model the adsorption isotherms (Langmuir) and kinetics (pseudo-first-order). Second, the adsorption kinetics and cellulase activities were studied under different hydrodynamic conditions, including liquid mixing and particle suspension. Third, in order to compare α-cellulose with three typically used celluloses, the exact cellulase activities towards all four substrates were measured.It was found that, using α-cellulose, the adsorption models fitted to the experimental data and yielded parameters comparable to those for filter paper. Moreover, it was determined that higher shaking frequencies clearly improved the adsorption of cellulases onto α-cellulose and thus bolstered their activity. Complete suspension of α-cellulose particles was the optimal operating condition in order to ensure efficient cellulase adsorption and activity. Finally, all four purified cellulases displayed comparable activities only on insoluble α-cellulose.

CONCLUSIONS

α-Cellulose is an excellent substrate to screen for CBHs and EGs. This current investigation shows in detail, for the first time, the adsorption of purified cellulases onto α-cellulose, the effect of hydrodynamics on cellulase adsorption and the correlation between the adsorption and the activity of cellulases at different hydrodynamic conditions. Complete suspension of the substrate has to be ensured in order to optimize the cellulase attack. In the future, screenings should be conducted with α-cellulose so that proper cellulases are selected to best hydrolyze the real alkaline-pretreated biomass used in biorefineries.

Adsorption of Trichoderma reesei cellulase on cellulose: experimental data and their analysis by different equations

The adsorption of cellulase from Trichoderma reesei MCG 77 on Avicel was measured at varying cellulase (2-8 g/L) and Avicel (10-200 g/L) concentrations at pH 4.8 and 50 degrees C. Different mathematical equations were derived for the evaluation of the experimental data. The fraction of cellulase protein that can maximally be adsorbed is 0.96, and 1 g Avicel can bind maximally 0.092 g cellulase protein. The Michaelis constant for the adsorption equilibrium [cellulase] + [Avicel] right harpoon over left harpoon [cellulase Avicel] complex is between 2.0 and 2.3 . 10(-5) mol/L. This value is based on the assumption that cellulase has an average molecular weight of 48.000. The apparent molecular weight of Avicel, i.e., that amount in grams that can bind 1 mol cellulase, is 520,000. Under maximum binding the enzyme covers on Avicel a surface of 42 m(2)/g, and the occupied volume is 0.186 cm(3)/g Avicel.

Adsorption of Clostridium thermocellum cellulases onto pretreated mixed hardwood, avicel, and lignin

Adsorption of Avicel-hydrolyzing activity was examined with respect to: mixed hardwood flour pretreated with 1% sulfuric acid for 9 s at 220 degrees C (PTW220), lignin prepared from PTW220 by either acid or enzymatic hydrolysis, and Avicel. Experiments were conducted at 60 degrees C for all materials, and also at 25 degrees C for PTW220. Based on transient adsorption results and reaction rates, times were selected at which to characterize adsorption at 60 degrees C as follows: PTW220, 1 min; lignin, 30 min; and Avicel, 45 min. Similar results were obtained for adsorption of cellulase activity to PTW220 at 25 and 60 degrees C, and for lignin prepared by enzymatic and acid hydrolysis. For all materials, adsorption was described well by a Langmuir equation, although the reversibility of adsorption was not investigated. Langmuir affinity constants (L/g) were: PTW220, 109; lignin, 17.9; Avicel, 4.3; cellulose from PTW220, > or =187. Langmuir capacity constants were 760 for PTW220 and 42 for Avicel; the cellulase binding capacity of lignin appeared to be very high under the conditions examined, and could not be determined. At low and moderate cellulase loadings at least, the majority of cellulase activity adsorbed to PTW220 is bound to the cellulosic component. The results indicate that PTW220, and its cellulose component in particular, differ radically from Avicel with respect to adsorption. Avicel-hydrolyzing activity and CMC-hydrolyzing activities were found to bind to Avicel with a constant ratio of essentially one, consistent with adsorption of a multi-activity complex.

Reversibility and competition in the adsorption of Trichoderma reesei cellulase components

Adsorption reversibility and competition between fractionated components of the Trichoderma reesei cellulase system were studied. Specific endoglucanase (EGI), nonspecific endoglucanases (EGII, EGIII), and cellobio-hydrolase (CBHI) were previously grouped according to their hydrolytic function. At 5 degrees C, direct evidence of exchange between adsorbed and free enzyme was obtained for each component using [(3)H] and [(14)C] radiolabeled tracers. No release of bound enzymes was detected upon dilution of the free enzyme solution. In simultaneous adsorption of enzyme pairs, CBHI was shown to predominate adsorption. Endoglucanase EGI was preferentially adsorbed over EGII and EGIII. Sequential adsorption studies have shown that interaction between enzyme components largely determines the degree of their adsorption. Evidence suggests that both common and distinct adsorption sites exist and that their occupation depends on which components are involved. Predominance in adsorption by any one of the enzyme components is decreased at 50 degrees C. Light microscopy and monitoring of sugar production during cellulose hydrolysis provided evidence that reduction in the ionic strength decreases the adsorption predominance of CBHI and enhances the synergism between the cellulase components.

The cellulose-binding domain (CBD(Cex)) of an exoglucanase from Cellulomonas fimi: production in Escherichia coli and characterization of the polypeptide

The gene fragment encoding the cellulose-binding domain (CBD) of an exoglucanase (Cex) from Cellulomonas fimi was subcloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Transcription from the lac promoter coupled with translation from a consensus prokaryotic ribosome binding site led to the production of large quantities of CBD(Cex) (up to 25% total soluble cell protein). The polypeptide leaked into the culture supernatant (up to 50 mg . L(-1)), facilitating one-step purification by affinity chromatography on cellulose. The 11-kDa polypeptide reacted with Cex antiserum. Absence of free thiols indicated that the two Cys residues of CBD(Cex) form a disulfide bridge. It had the same N-terminal amino acid sequence as CBD(Cex) prepared from Cex by proteolysis, plus two additional N-terminal amino acid residues (Ala and Ser) encoded by the Nhel site introduced during plasmid construction. CBD(Cex) bound to a variety of beta-1, 4-glycans with different affinities and saturation levels. Adsorption to bacterial microcrystalline cellulose was dependent on the temperature, but not on the pH.

Microcalorimetric study of cellulose degradation by Cellulomonas uda ATCC 21399

A newly designed batch calorimeter was used to investigate the degradability of some celluloses having varying degrees of crystallinity. The PTC of an aerobic culture of Cellulomonas uda ATCC 21399 obtained revealed a diauxic growth which is attributed to the presence of hemicellulose contaminating Avicel and MN300 cellulose. The microcrystalline celluloses used were not completely utilized, whereas amorphous cellulose was easily metabolized, indicating that under the growth conditions used here, the physical structure of cellulose strongly influenced its microbial degradability. An equivalent growth yield of ca. 0.44 g/g was found with all the substrates used. The heat evolved by metabolism of 1 g cellulose was -5.86 kJ/g, a value similar to that obtained with glucose culture. The growth rate was the only variable parameter. The data obtained showed as expected that the hydrolysis product of cellulose was consumed in the same way as that of glucose and that the only limiting factor to the biodegradability of cellulose was the breakdown of the polymeric substrate. It is concluded that data obtained with glucose metabolism can be used to evaluate the extent of cellulose degradation.

Cellulase adsorption and relationship to features of corn stover solids produced by leading pretreatments

Although essential to enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulosic biomass to sugars for fermentation to ethanol or other products, enzyme adsorption and its relationship to substrate features has received limited attention, and little data and insight have been developed on cellulase adsorption for promising pretreatment options, with almost no data available to facilitate comparisons. Therefore, adsorption of cellulase on Avicel, and of cellulase and xylanase on corn stover solids resulting from ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX), ammonia recycled percolation (ARP), controlled pH, dilute acid, lime, and sulfur dioxide (SO(2)) pretreatments were measured at 4 degrees C. Langmuir adsorption parameters were then estimated by non-linear regression using Polymath software, and cellulase accessibility to cellulose was estimated based on adsorption data for pretreated solids and lignin left after carbohydrate digestion. To determine the impact of delignification and deacetylation on cellulose accessibility, purified CBHI (Cel7A) adsorption at 4 degrees C and hydrolysis with whole cellulase were followed for untreated (UT) corn stover. In all cases, cellulase attained equilibrium in less than 2 h, and upon dilution, solids pretreated by controlled pH technology showed the greatest desorption followed by solids from dilute acid and SO(2) pretreatments. Surprisingly, the lowest desorption was measured for Avicel glucan followed by solids from AFEX pretreatment. The higher cellulose accessibility for AFEX and lime pretreated solids could account for the good digestion reported in the literature for these approaches. Lime pretreated solids had the greatest xylanase capacity and AFEX solids the least, showing pretreatment pH did not seem to be controlling. The 24 h glucan hydrolysis rate data had a strong relationship to cellulase adsorption capacities, while 24 h xylan hydrolysis rate data showed no relationship to xylanase adsorption capacities. Furthermore, delignification greatly enhanced enzyme effectiveness but had a limited effect on cellulose accessibility. And because delignification enhanced release of xylose more than glucose, it appears that lignin did not directly control cellulose accessibility but restricted xylan accessibility which in turn controlled access to cellulose. Reducing the acetyl content in corn stover solids significantly improved both cellulose accessibility and enzyme effectiveness.

Toward an aggregated understanding of enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose: noncomplexed cellulase systems

Information pertaining to enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose by noncomplexed cellulase enzyme systems is reviewed with a particular emphasis on development of aggregated understanding incorporating substrate features in addition to concentration and multiple cellulase components. Topics considered include properties of cellulose, adsorption, cellulose hydrolysis, and quantitative models. A classification scheme is proposed for quantitative models for enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose based on the number of solubilizing activities and substrate state variables included. We suggest that it is timely to revisit and reinvigorate functional modeling of cellulose hydrolysis, and that this would be highly beneficial if not necessary in order to bring to bear the large volume of information available on cellulase components on the primary applications that motivate interest in the subject.

Binding and reversibility of Thermobifida fusca Cel5A, Cel6B, and Cel48A and their respective catalytic domains to bacterial microcrystalline cellulose

The binding and reversibility of Thermobifida fusca intact Cel5A, Cel5B, and Cel48A and their corresponding catalytic domains (CDs) to bacterial microcrystalline cellulose (BMCC) were studied at 5 degrees C. The binding of the intact cellulases and of corresponding CDs to BMCC was irreversible in all regions: Langmuir binding (region I), interstice penetration (region II), and interstice saturation (region III). The three cellulose binding domains (CBMs) bind reversibly in "region I" although their respective CDs do not. The irreversible binding of these enzymes in the Langmuir region does not satisfy the Langmuir assumption; however, the overall fit of the Interstice Saturation model, which includes binding in MBCC interstices as well as on the freely accessible surface (Jung et al., 2002a) is good. The main limitation of the model is that it does not explicitly address a mechanism for forming the enzyme-substrate complex within the active site of the CDs.

Binding mechanisms for Thermobifida fusca Cel5A, Cel6B, and Cel48A cellulose-binding modules on bacterial microcrystalline cellulose

The family II cellulose-binding modules (CBM) from Thermobifida fusca Cel5A and Cel48A were cloned in the Escherichia coli/Streptomyces shuttle vector pD730, and the plasmids were transformed into Streptomyces lividans TKM31. CBM(Cel5A), and CBM(Cel48A), CBM(Cel6B) were expressed and purified from S. lividans. The molecular masses were determined by mass spectrometry, and the values were 10595 +/- 2, 10915 +/- 2, and 11291 +/- 2 Da for CBM(Cel5A), CBM(Cel6B), and CBM(Cel48A), respectively. Three different binding models (Langmuir, Interstice Penetration, and Interstice Saturation) were tested to describe the binding isotherms of these CBMs on bacterial microcrystalline cellulose (BMCC). The experimental binding isotherms of T. fusca family II CBMs on BMCC are best modeled by the Interstice Saturation model, which includes binding to the constrained interstice surface of BMCC as well as traditional Langmuir binding on the freely accessible surface. The Interstice Saturation model consists of three different steps (Langmuir binding, interstice binding, and interstice saturation). Full reversibility only occurred in the Langmuir region. The irreversibility in the interstice binding and saturation regions probably was caused by interstice entrapment. Temperature shift experiments in different binding regions support the interstice entrapment assumption. There was no systematic difference in binding between the two types of exocellulase CBMs--one that hydrolyzes cellulose from the nonreducing (CBM(Cel6B)) end and one that hydrolyzes cellulose from the reducing end (CBM(Cel48A)).

Microbial cellulose utilization: fundamentals and biotechnology

Fundamental features of microbial cellulose utilization are examined at successively higher levels of aggregation encompassing the structure and composition of cellulosic biomass, taxonomic diversity, cellulase enzyme systems, molecular biology of cellulase enzymes, physiology of cellulolytic microorganisms, ecological aspects of cellulase-degrading communities, and rate-limiting factors in nature. The methodological basis for studying microbial cellulose utilization is considered relative to quantification of cells and enzymes in the presence of solid substrates as well as apparatus and analysis for cellulose-grown continuous cultures. Quantitative description of cellulose hydrolysis is addressed with respect to adsorption of cellulase enzymes, rates of enzymatic hydrolysis, bioenergetics of microbial cellulose utilization, kinetics of microbial cellulose utilization, and contrasting features compared to soluble substrate kinetics. A biological perspective on processing cellulosic biomass is presented, including features of pretreated substrates and alternative process configurations. Organism development is considered for "consolidated bioprocessing" (CBP), in which the production of cellulolytic enzymes, hydrolysis of biomass, and fermentation of resulting sugars to desired products occur in one step. Two organism development strategies for CBP are examined: (i) improve product yield and tolerance in microorganisms able to utilize cellulose, or (ii) express a heterologous system for cellulose hydrolysis and utilization in microorganisms that exhibit high product yield and tolerance. A concluding discussion identifies unresolved issues pertaining to microbial cellulose utilization, suggests approaches by which such issues might be resolved, and contrasts a microbially oriented cellulose hydrolysis paradigm to the more conventional enzymatically oriented paradigm in both fundamental and applied contexts.

Cellulose-binding modules from extracellular matrix proteins of Dictyostelium discoideum stalk and sheath

Cellulose-binding modules (CBMs) of two extracellular matrix proteins, St15 and ShD, from the slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum were expressed in Escherichia coli. The expressed proteins were purified to > 98% purity by extracting inclusion bodies at pH 11.5 and refolding proteins at pH 7.5. The two refolded CBMs bound tightly to amorphous phosphoric acid swollen cellulose (PASC), but had a low affinity toward xylan. Neither protein exhibited cellulase activity. St15, the stalk-specific protein, had fourfold higher binding affinity toward microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel) than the sheath-specific ShD CBM. St15 is unusual in that it consists of a solitary CBM homologous to family IIa CBMs. Sequence analysis of ShD reveals three putative domains containing: (a) a C-terminal CBM homologous to family IIb CBMs; (b) a Pro/Thr-rich linker domain; and (c) a N-terminal Cys-rich domain. The biological functions and potential role of St15 and ShD in building extracellular matrices during D. discoideum development are discussed.