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Factors influencing the production of cellulase by Aspergillus fumigatus (Fresenius).

During growth in liquid culture containing a single cellulosic or non-cellulosic carbon source, a newly isolated strain of Aspergillus fumigatus released cellulases into the medium; the amounts produced depended on the nitrogen source, the type and concentration of the carbon source, pH and temperature. Extracellular cellulolytic activity was still increasing after incubation for 60 d with 1% (W/V) CF11 cellulose, (NH4)2SO4 as nitrogen source and a starting pH of 7. The activities of the new isolate were compared with those of A. fumigatus IMI 143864 and Trichoderma reesei QM6a (ATCC 13631) and it was shown to be a good producer of beta-glucosidase.

Aspergillus fumigatus↗

Molecular study and overexpression of the Clostridium cellulolyticum celF cellulase gene in Escherichia coli.

The CelF-encoding sequence was isolated from Clostridium cellulolyticum genomic DNA using the inverse PCR technique. The gene lies between cipC (the gene encoding the cellulosome scaffolding protein) and celC (coding for the endoglucanase C) in the large cel cluster of this mesophilic cellulolytic Clostridium species. Comparisons between the deduced amino acid sequence of the mature CelF (693 amino acids, molecular mass 77626) and those of other beta-glycanases showed that this enzyme belongs to the recently proposed family L of cellulases (family 48 of glycosyl hydrolases). The protein was overproduced in Escherichia coli using the T7 expression system. It formed both cytoplasmic and periplasmic inclusion bodies when induction was performed at 37 degrees C. Surprisingly, the protein synthesized from the cytoplasmic production vector was degraded in the Ion protease-deficient strain BL21(DE3). The induction conditions were optimized with regard to the concentration of inductor, cell density, and temperature and time of induction in order to overproduce an active periplasmic protein (CelFp) which was both soluble and stable. It was collected using the osmotic shock method. The enzymic degradation of various cellulosic substrates by CelFp was studied. CelFp degraded swollen Avicel more efficiently than substituted soluble CM-cellulose or crystalline Avicel and was not active on xylan. Its activity is therefore quite different from that of endoglucanases, which are most active on CM-cellulose.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Genes encoding xylan and beta-glucan hydrolysing enzymes in Bacillus subtilis: characterization, mapping and construction of strains deficient in lichenase, cellulase and xylanase.

The gene encoding extracellular xylanase (xynA) was amplified as a 770 bp DNA fragment from Bacillus subtilis 168 chromosomal DNA by PCR. The genes encoding endo-beta-1,4-glucanase (eglS) and endo-beta-1,3-1,4-glucanase (bglS) were isolated from a genomic library of B. subtilis 168. The sequences of xynA and eglS were identical to those of the xylanase and cellulase genes from B. subtilis PAP115. Integrative plasmids containing DNA fragments with deletions in the coding region of the genes were constructed and used to replace the chromosomal eglS, bglS and xynA genes of B. subtilis 168. Strains without any detectable activity against xylan (Xyn-), carboxymethylcellulose (Egl-) or mixed linked beta-1,3-1,4-glucan (Egl- Bgl-) were obtained. The genes were mapped at 170 degrees (eglS), 175 degrees (xynA) and 340 degrees (bglS) on the B. subtilis chromosome.

Bacillus subtilis↗

Functional analysis of regulatory elements in the gene promoter for an abscission-specific cellulase from bean and isolation, expression, and binding affinity of three TGA-type basic leucine zipper transcription factors.

Site-directed mutagenesis was used to identify cis-acting elements that control hormonal and abscission-specific expression of the bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) abscission cellulase (BAC) promoter. Auxin inhibition of BAC promoter expression is at least in part controlled by a negatively regulated element and ethylene induction by a positively regulated element. One of a series of 15 different 10-bp mutations created in a 2.9-kb BAC promoter reduced reporter gene expression by 60%. The native sequence for this 10-bp mutation includes a TGA-type basic leucine zipper (bZIP) motif. Tandem ligation of three 18-bp BAC elements (Z-BAC), which includes the bZIP motif to a minimal -50 35S cauliflower mosaic virus promoter, enhanced expression in abscission zones (AZs) 13-fold over that of the minimal promoter alone. The native forward orientation of the Z-BAC elements was essential for high expression levels. Expression of the Z-BAC minimal construct was 3-fold greater in AZ than stems when compared with the expression levels of an internal control with an enhanced 35S cauliflower mosaic virus promoter. Polymerase chain reaction was used to identify three TGA-type bZIP transcription factors in an AZ cDNA library. One of these factors was of the class I type and two of the class II type. RNA-blot analysis was completed for these genes and electrophoretic mobility shift assays used to confirm their binding to the Z-BAC element. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay-binding affinity was greatest for the class I TGA-type bZIP factor. The results indicate a complex interaction of negative and positive regulating transcription factors that control BAC gene expression.

Base Sequence↗

Pseudomonas fluorescens subsp. cellulosa: an alternative model for bacterial cellulase.

Pseudomonas fluorescens subsp. cellulosa, a Gram-negative soil bacterium, can utilize crystalline cellulose or xylan as main sources of carbon and energy. Synthesis of endoglucanases and xylanases is induced by Avicel, filter paper, carboxymethylcellulose or xylan and is repressed by cellobiose, glucose or xylose. These enzymes are secreted into the culture supernatant fluid and do not form aggregates or associate with the cell surface. Cells of Ps. fluorescens subsp. cellulosa do not adhere to cellulose. In cultures containing Avicel or filter paper, a significant proportion of the secreted cellulase and xylanase activities becomes tightly bound to the insoluble cellulose. Western blotting has revealed that endoglucanase B, xylanase A and a cellodextrinase encoded by genes previously isolated from Ps. fluorescens subsp. cellulosa and expressed in Escherichia coli, are synthesized by the pseudomonad under a variety of conditions. These enzymes appear to be post-translationally modified, probably through glycosylation. Overall, it appears that the cellulase/hemicellulase system of Ps. fluorescens subsp. cellulosa differs from the model established for celluloytic anaerobes such as Clostridium thermocellum.

Blotting, Western↗

Chromosomal and genetic analysis of the electrophoretic karyotype of Trichoderma reesei: mapping of the cellulase and xylanase genes.

An electrophoretic karyotype has been established for Trichoderma reesei strain QM6a, and several of its derivatives, by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. All strains examined appear to have seven chromosomes with a total genome size of approximately 33 megabases (Mb). The sizes of the chromosomal bands in strain QM6a are approximately 6.2, 6.0, 5.1, 4.2 (doublet), 3.6 and 3.2 Mb. Genes encoding the cellulase complex and xylanases of T. reesei have been mapped, as have several other genes.

Cellulase↗

Periplasmic disulphide bond formation is essential for cellulase secretion by the plant pathogen Erwinia chrysanthemi.

Secretion to the cell exterior of cellulase EGZ and of at least six pectinases enables the Gram-negative Erwinia chrysanthemi to cause severe plant disease. The C-terminal cellulose-binding domain (CBD) of EGZ was found to contain a disulphide bond which forms, in the periplasm, between residues Cys-325 and Cys-382. Dithiothreitol (DTT)-treatment of native EGZ showed that the disulphide bond was dispensable, both for catalysis and cellulose binding. Adding DTT to E. chrysanthemi cultures led to immediate arrest of secretion of EGZ which accumulated in the periplasm where the CBD was eventually proteolysed. Site-directed mutagenesis that affected Cys residues involved in disulphide bond formation resulted in molecules that were catalytically active and able to bind to cellulose but were no longer secreted. Instead they accumulated in the periplasm. Interestingly, the region around EGZ Cys-325 is conserved in two pectinases secreted by the same pathway as EGZ. We conclude that the conserved Cys, and possibly adjacent residues, bear essential information for EGZ to be secreted and that periplasmic disulphide bond formation is an obligatory step which provides a pre-folded functional form of EGZ with secretion competence.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Purification and partial characterization of three extracellular cellulases from Cellulomonas sp.

Three extracellular cellulases have been purified from cultures of Cellulomonas. One was found in solution in the cell-free supernatant and two others were found to be bound to the cellulose added as a carbon source. The free enzyme and one of the cellulose-bound enzymes bind to Sephadex. The two cellulose-bound enzymes are glycosylated. The three enzymes behave as endocellulases towards soluble carboxymethyl-cellulose and have little activity on cellulose powder.

Actinomycetales↗

The cellulase of Trichoderma viride. Purification, characterization and comparison of all detectable endoglucanases, exoglucanases and beta-glucosidases.

Six endoglucanases (Endo I; II; III; IV; V; VI), three exoglucanases (Exo I; II; III) and a beta-glucosidase (beta-gluc I) were isolated from a commercial cellulase preparation derived from Trichoderma viride, using gel filtration on Bio-Gel, anion exchange on DEAE-Bio-Gel A, cation exchange on SE-Sephadex and affinity chromatography on crystalline cellulose. Molecular masses were determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. One group of endoglucanases (Endo I, Endo II and Endo IV) with Mr of 50 000, 45 000 and 23 500 were more random in their attack on carboxymethylcellulose than another group (Endo III, Endo V and Endo VI) showing Mr of 58 000, 57 000 and 53 000 respectively. Endo III was identified as a new type of endoglucanase with relatively high activity on crystalline cellulose and moderate activity on carboxymethylcellulose. Exo II and Exo III with Mr of 60 500 and 62 000 respectively showed distinct adsorption affinities on a column of crystalline cellulose and could be eluted by a pH gradient to alkaline regions. These enzymes were cellobiohydrolases as judged by high-pressure liquid chromatography of the products obtained from incubation with H3PO4-swollen cellulose. It was concluded that these exoglucanases are primarily active on newly generated chain ends. Exo I was essentially another type of exoglucanase which in the first instance was able to split off a cellobiose molecule from a chain end and then hydrolyse this molecule in a second step to two glucose units beta-Gluc I was a new type of aryl-beta-D-glucosidase which had no activity on cellobiose. The enzyme had a Mr of 76 000 and was moderately active on CM-cellulose, crystalline cellulose and xylan and highly active on p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-glucose and p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-xylose.

Cellulase↗

Structure of the Clostridium thermocellum gene licB and the encoded beta-1,3-1,4-glucanase. A catalytic region homologous to Bacillus lichenases joined to the reiterated domain of clostridial cellulases.

The nucleotide sequence of the Clostridium thermocellum gene licB, coding for a thermoactive beta-1,3-1,4-glucanase, has been determined. The gene is located downstream, but in opposite orientation to the beta-glucosidase gene bglA. A coding region of 1002 bp is flanked by canonical promoter and transcription terminator sequences. The primary translation product of the licB gene has a predicted molecular mass of 37,896 Da. The protein sequence can be divided into several discrete segments: an N-terminal signal peptide, a catalytic region, a segment rich in Pro and Thr residues and a C-terminal reiterated domain. The catalytic region shows close similarity to lichenases of bacilli (52-58% identity) and Fibrobacter succinogenes (35% identity), but is unrelated to barley beta-1,3-1,4-glucanases. It consists of two domains, which in the case of the F. succinogenes lichenase are arranged in reversed order to that of C. thermocellum and Bacillus lichenases. The C-terminal reiterated domain of C. thermocellum lichenase is homologous to the duplicated non-catalytic domain of endo-beta-1,4-glucanases and xylanase Z from the same organism. This domain is considered a characteristic feature of clostridial cellulases organized as multienzyme complex (cellulosome). The beta-1,3-1,4-glucanase encoded by the licB gene might therefore be an additional enzyme component of the C. thermocellum cellulosome.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Stereochemistry, specificity and kinetics of the hydrolysis of reduced cellodextrins by nine cellulases.

The catalytic activity of nine enzymes (endoglucanases I-III, V, VI and cellobiohydrolases I and II from Humicola insolens; endoglucanases A and C from Bacillus lautus), representative of cellulase families A-C, H, J and K, has been investigated using a series of reduced cellooligosaccharides (cellotriitol to cellohexaitol) as substrates. For each enzyme, the specificity of cleavage was determined by analytical HPLC while the kinetic constants were obtained from a kinetic assay involving a cellobiose dehydrogenase purified from H. insolens as a coupled enzyme using 2,6-dichloroindophenol as the electron acceptor. These data were used to estimate the number of subsites in the enzymes. The stereochemical course of hydrolysis by seven enzymes, representing the six different families, was assessed using 1H-NMR. The enzymes belonging to families which had already been investigated (A-C), showed results in agreement with previous studies. The three other families (H, J and K), for which no mechanistic data was previously available, gave results which indicated that enzymes in group H had retaining-type activity and enzymes in groups J and K had inverting-type activity. The retaining endoglucanases I and III displayed a high glycosyl-transferase activity under the conditions used during the NMR experiments resulting in precipitates of higher oligomers.

Bacillus↗

cDNA cloning of a Trichoderma reesei cellulase and demonstration of endoglucanase activity by expression in yeast.

A Trichoderma reesei cDNA encoding a previously unknown protein with a C-terminal cellulose-binding domain was obtained by complementation screening of a T. reesei cDNA library in a sec1 yeast mutant impaired in protein secretion. The T. reesei protein shows amino acid similarity over its entire length to the Agaricus bisporus cellulose-induced protein CEL1 whose function is not known. These two proteins form a new glycosyl hydrolase family, number 61. Expression of the T. reesei cDNA in yeast showed that it encoded a protein with endoglucanase activity and thus the protein was named EGIV and the corresponding gene egl4. Polyclonal antibodies were prepared against EGIV produced in Escherichia coli and detected a 56-kDa protein in the T. reesei culture supernatant. Northern hybridisation revealed that T. reesei egl4 is regulated in the same manner as other cellulase genes of this fungus.

Agaricus↗

Cellulase activity of Leishmania major in the sandfly vector and in culture.

The secretion of cellulose-degrading enzymes by Leishmania promastigotes in culture and in the sandfly vector was demonstrated. Two types of activity of cellulase enzyme-complexes were measured: endoglucanases, which randomly cleave cellulose chains and cellobioydrolases, which remove cellobiose from the nonreducing end of the molecule. The assays demonstrated that enzymes with these activities were secreted into the culture medium by Leishmania major, L. donovani, and L. braziliensis. These activities were also found in cultures of Sauroleishmania agamae, Leptomonas seymouri, Herpetomonas muscarum, Crithidia fasciculata and Trypanosoma brucei brucei that had a relatively low endoglucanase activity. Both endoglucanase and cellobiohydrolase activities were found in the gut of L. major-infected Phlebotomus papatasi, while gut preparations of uninfected sandflies had only cellobiohydrolase activity. The similar growth of L. major parasites in medium supplemented with either cellulose or glucose suggests these parasites can utilize cellulose.

Animals↗

Effect of carbon source on the expression of celA1, a cellulase-encoding gene from Streptomyces halstedii JM8.

The production of the cellulase Cell from Streptomyces halstedii JM8 was studied in cells grown in the presence of glucose, cellobiose or microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel). Among these, glucose repressed expression while cellobiose and Avicel exerted a clear induction. The gene celA1 was cloned in several heterologous Streptomyces hosts and its expression analyzed. S. parvulus transformed with the plasmid pJM11, a pIJ702 derivative, was the best producer. A region which includes the sequence ATTGGGACCGCTTCC located between positions -161 and -147 upstream from the translation initiation codon [Fernández-Abalos et al. (1992) J. Bacteriol. 174, 6368-6376] was deleted and its effect was studied in the presence of different carbon sources. Although the observed effect depends on the host used, this region seems to be involved in activation of the expression of this gene.

Base Sequence↗

Cellulase and hemicellulase genes of Clostridium thermocellum from five independent collections contain few overlaps and are widely scattered across the chromosome.

Five independent collections, comprising a total of 34 clones encoding cellulases, hemicellulases and cell surface proteins of Clostridium thermocellum, were searched for overlapping or contiguous DNA fragments. The clones were hybridized to large genomic restriction fragments separated by pulse-field electrophoresis. Clones hybridizing to the same fragment were further compared by hybridization to smaller fragments, by cross-hybridization and by restriction mapping. The probes hybridized to loci which were usually not clustered and were scattered over at least one third of the chromosome. Besides previously identified clusters, only two clones were found to be adjacent. Two pairs of clones appeared to contain the same genes cloned in duplicate, and one of the genes was shown to be cloned in triplicate.

Cellulase↗

The modular cellulase CelZ of the thermophilic bacterium Clostridium stercorarium contains a thermostabilizing domain.

The non-catalytic region of the Clostridium stercorarium cellulase CelZ (Avicelase I) comprises two protein segments (C and C') grouped into different subfamilies of cellulose-binding domain (CBD) family III. The C-terminally located family IIIb domain C was identified as a true cellulose-binding domain responsible for anchoring the CelZ enzyme to cellulose. The family IIIc domain C' immediately adjacent to the catalytic domain was unable to mediate binding to cellulose. A deletion study revealed a lack of independence of this pair of domains: almost the entire C' domain was required to maintain the catalytic activity and the thermostability of the enzyme.

Binding Sites↗

Cellulase-free xylanases from Bacillus and other microorganisms.

Xylanases are used mainly in the pulp and paper industries for the pretreatment of Kraft pulp prior to bleaching to minimize use of chlorine, the conventional bleaching agent. This application has great potential as an environmentally safe method. Hydrolysis by xylanases of relocated and reprecipitated xylan on the surface of cellulose fibres formed during Kraft cooking facilitates the removal of lignin by increasing permeability to oxidising agents. Most of the xylanases reported in the literature contained significant cellulolytic activity, which make them less suitable for pulp and paper industries. The need for large quantities of xylanases which would be stable at higher temperatures and pH values and free of cellulase activity has necessitated a search for novel enzymes. We have isolated and characterised several xylanase-producing cultures, one of which (an alkalophilic Bacillus SSP-34) produced more than 100 IU ml(-1) of xylanase activity. The SSP-34 xylanases have optimum activity at 50 degrees C in a pH range 6-8, with only small amounts of cellulolytic activity (CMCase (0.4 IU ml(-1), pH 7), FPase (0.2 IU ml(-1), pH 7) and no activity at pH 9).

Bacillus↗

Cloning and characterization of two cellulase genes from Lentinula edodes.

Lentinula edodes has traditionally been grown on fallen logs. It produces a wide array of enzymes to digest the lignocellulolytic substrate for nutrients. Thus, this organism represents a rich source of potentially potent lignocellulolytic enzymes that can be harnessed for conversion of biomass to simple sugars. These sugars can then be used as feedstock for ethanol production or other chemical syntheses. We have cloned two cellulase genes from L. edodes grown on a wood substrate without the use of genomic or cDNA libraries by using a PCR-based strategy employing degenerate primers directed at the cellulose-binding domain. cel7A encoded a 516-amino acid protein that belonged to glycosyl hydrolase family 7 and had sequence similarities to cbhI genes from other fungi. cel6B encoded a 444-amino acid protein that belonged to glycosyl hydrolase family 6 and had sequence similarities to cbhII genes from other fungi. We demonstrated that cel7A and cel6B transcript levels were positively correlated to L. edodes growth in the presence of crystalline cellulose.

Amino Acid Sequence↗