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A rhamnogalacturonan lyase in the Clostridium cellulolyticum cellulosome.

Clostridium cellulolyticum secretes large multienzymatic complexes with plant cell wall-degrading activities named cellulosomes. Most of the genes encoding cellulosomal components are located in a large gene cluster: cipC-cel48F-cel8C-cel9G-cel9E-orfX-cel9H-cel9J-man5K-cel9M. Downstream of the cel9M gene, a new open reading frame was discovered and named rgl11Y. Amino acid sequence analysis indicates that this gene encodes a multidomain pectinase, Rgl11Y, containing an N-terminal signal sequence, a catalytic domain belonging to family 11 of the polysaccharide lyases, and a C-terminal dockerin domain. The present report describes the biochemical characterization of a recombinant form of Rgl11Y. Rgl11Y cleaves the alpha-L-Rhap-(1-->4)-alpha-D-GalpA glycosidic bond in the backbone of rhamnogalacturonan I (RGI) via a beta-elimination mechanism. Its specific activity on potato pectic galactan and rhamnogalacturonan was found to be 28 and 3.6 IU/mg, respectively, indicating that Rgl11Y requires galactan decoration of the RGI backbone. The optimal pH of Rgl11Y is 8.5 and calcium is required for its activity. Rgl11Y was shown to be incorporated in the C. cellulolyticum cellulosome through a typical cohesin-dockerin interaction. Rgl11Y from C. cellulolyticum is the first cellulosomal rhamnogalacturonase characterized.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The cellulosome: the exocellular organelle of Clostridium.

The cellulolytic enzyme complex of the anaerobic thermophile Clostridium thermocellum is reviewed. This complex, called the cellulosome, is cell associated and has a mass of from 2 x 10(6) to 6.5 x 10(6) Daltons. It consists of from 14 to 26 different polypeptides. Cellulosomes form larger complexes, polycellulosomes, with masses from 50 x 10(6) to 80 x 10(6) Daltons. The cellulosome efficiently hydrolyzes crystalline cellulose whereas individual polypeptides alone or in mixtures do not. Many of the polypeptides are catalytically active and can be characterized as endoglucanases, xylanases, and cellodextrinases. Several of the polypeptides have been sequenced including the largest subunit, CipA, that is a glycoprotein with a mass of 210 kDa. CipA has a cellulose-binding domain and nine internal repeated sequences postulated to bind eight catalytic subunits and a special peptide (ORF3p). The ORF3p anchors the CipA to the cell surface. CipA can be characterized as a scaffold holding the catalytic subunits that line up with the cellulose fiber. This arrangement allows a multiple cutting of the cellulose glucan chain. A similar system has been observed for other cellulosome-like complexes, notably Clostridium cellulovorans.

Carbohydrate Sequence↗

Two new major subunits in the cellulosome of Clostridium thermocellum: xyloglucanase Xgh74A and endoxylanase Xyn10D.

The structure and enzymic activity of xyloglucanase Xgh74A and endoxylanase Xyn10D, components in the cellulosomes of cellulose-grown Clostridium thermocellum, were determined. Xyn10D is a thermostable endo-1,4-beta-xylanase with a module composition identical to Xyn10C (CBM22-GH10-Doc). It hydrolyses xylan and mixed-linkage 1,3-1,4-beta-glucan with a temperature optimum of 80 degrees C. Xyloglucanase Xgh74A contains a catalytic module of GHF74 in addition to a C-terminal dockerin module. It hydrolyses every fourth beta-1,4-glucan bond in the xyloglucan backbone, thus producing decorated cellotetraose units. Its low activity on CMC and lack of activity on amorphous cellulose indicates recognition of the xylosidic side chains present in xyloglucan, which is readily hydrolysed (295 U mg(-1)). The pattern of the hydrolysis products from tamarind xyloglucan resembles that of other GHF74 xyloglucan endoglucanases. The data indicate that Xgh74A and Xyn10D contribute to the in vivo degradation of the hemicelluloses xyloglucan and xylan by the cellulosome of C. thermocellum. Xgh74A is the first xyloglucanase identified in C. thermocellum and the only enzyme in the cellulosome that hydrolyses tamarind xyloglucan.

Catalytic Domain↗

Solubilization of cellulosomal cellulases by fusion with cellulose-binding domain of noncellulosomal cellulase engd from Clostridium cellulovorans.

Clostridium cellulovorans produces a cellulase complex (cellulosome) as well as noncellulosomal cellulases. In this study, we determined a factor that affected the solubility of the cellulosomal cellulase EngB and the noncellulosomal EngD when they were expressed in Escherichia coli. The catalytic domains of EngB and EngD formed inclusion bodies when expressed in E. coli. On the other hand, both catalytic domains containing the C-terminal cellulose-binding domain (CBD) of EngD were expressed in soluble form. Fusion with the CBD of EngD also helped increased the solubility of cellulosomal cellulase EngL upon expression in E. coli. These results indicate that the CBD of EngD plays an important role in the soluble expression of the catalytic domains of EngB, EngL, and EngD. The possible mechanisms of solubilization by fusion of the catalytic domain with the CBD from EngD are discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Product inhibition of the recombinant CelS, an exoglucanase component of the Clostridium thermocellum cellulosome.

CelS is the most abundant subunit and an exoglucanase component of the Clostridium thermocellum cellulosome, multicomponent cellulase complex. The product inhibition pattern of CelS was examined using purified recombinant CelS (rCelS) produced in Escherichia coli. The rCelS activity on cellopentaose was strongly inhibited by cellobiose. The rCelS activity was also inhibited by lactose. Glucose was only marginally inhibitory. Cellobiose appeared to inhibit the rCelS activity through a competitive mechanism. The inhibition was relieved when beta-glucosidase was added, presumably because of the conversion of cellobiose into glucose. These hydrolysis product inhibition patterns are consistent with those of the crude enzyme (cellulosome), suggesting that CelS is a rate-limiting factor in the activity of the cellulosome.

Cellobiose↗

Anomalous dissociative behavior of the major glycosylated component of the cellulosome of Clostridium thermocellum.

The cellulosome of Clostridium thermocellum is a highly cohesive multienzyme complex that is capable of completely solubilizing insoluble cellulose. One of the major cellulosomal components, the glycosylated S1 subunit, is believed to play an important structural role and normally migrates in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with an Mr of 210,000. It is shown here that by simply altering the conditions (pH or ionic strength) of the environment prior to electrophoresis, a different migratory profile for S1 emerges, yielding a collection of bands, all of which migrate faster than the parent band. The original electrophoretic behavior of S1 can be reproduced on restoration of the original pH and ionic strength. These results may bear important significance for the physiological role of the S1 subunit in facilitating the observed synergistic action of the other (cellulolytic) components of the cellulosome.

Biotechnology↗

The cellulosome and cellulose degradation by anaerobic bacteria.

Despite its simple chemical composition, cellulose exists in a number of crystalline and amorphous topologies. Its insolubility and heterogeneity makes native cellulose a recalcitrant substrate for enzymatic hydrolysis. Microorganisms meet this challenge with the aid of a multi-enzyme system. Aerobic bacteria produce numerous individual, extra-cellular enzymes with binding modules for different cellulose conformations. Specific enzymes act in synergy to elicit effective hydrolysis. In contrast, anaerobic bacteria possess a unique extracellular multi-enzyme complex, called cellulosome. Up to 11 different enzymes are aligned on the non-catalytic scaffolding protein and thus ensure a high local concentration, together with the correct ratio and order of the components. These multi-enzyme complexes attach both to the cell envelope and to the substrate, mediating the proximity of the cells to the cellulose. Binding to the scaffolding stimulates the activity of each individual component towards the crystalline substrate. The most complex and best investigated cellulosome is that of the thermophilic bacterium Clostridium thermocellum, but a scheme for the cellulosomes of the mesophilic clostridia and the ruminococci emerges. Many crucial details of cellulose hydrolysis are still to be uncovered. Yet, a mechanistic model for the action of enzyme complexes on the surface of insoluble substrates becomes apparent and the application of enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulosic biomass can now be addressed.

Animals↗

Cloning of a Clostridium thermocellum DNA fragment encoding polypeptides that bind the catalytic components of the cellulosome.

A test based on the binding of 125I-labelled endoglucanase CelD was used to clone a DNA region encoding at least two different polypeptides that interact with the conserved reiterated segment present in many catalytic components of the Clostridium thermocellum cellulosome. One of the polypeptides corresponds to the COOH-terminal region of the SL (or S1) component of the cellulosome (U.T. Gerngross and A.L. Demain, personal communication). It comprises repeated domains that are responsible for binding 125I-labelled CelD, and presumably represent anchoring sites for the various catalytic components of the cellulosome. The other polypeptide is encoded by a gene that has not yet been described.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

A major new component in the cellulosome of Clostridium thermocellum is a processive endo-beta-1,4-glucanase producing cellotetraose.

Cel9R, a major component in the cellulosome of Clostridium thermocellum, is one of the most prevalent beta-glucanases in the complex after Cel48S and Cel8A. The recombinant product of gene celR is optimally active at 78.5 degrees C on amorphous cellulose, carboxymethyl-cellulose, and barley beta-1,3-1,4-glucan. From amorphous cellulose it produces initially cellotetraose which is slowly degraded to glucose, cellobiose and cellotriose. This product pattern indicates a processive endoglucanase-mode which was corroborated by the initial and simultaneous production of new reducing ends in the soluble as well as in the insoluble fraction of amorphous cellulose. pNP-Cellopentaoside is degraded to cellotetraose and pNP-glucoside, suggesting cellotetraose release from the non-reducing end. The newly discovered Cel9R thus is a novel type of cellulase in the cellulosome of C. thermocellum: a processive endo-beta-1,4-glucanase producing cellotetraose as the primary hydrolysis product. The presence in the cellulosome and the hydrolytic mode of this cellotetraohydrolase has implications for our understanding of the in vivo conversion of cellulose by bacteria.

Cellulase↗

Expression, purification and structural characterization of the scaffoldin hydrophilic X-module from the cellulosome of Clostridium thermocellum.

The cellulosome is a membrane-bound, extracellular multi-subunit complex responsible for the degradation of crystalline cellulose by a number of organisms including anaerobic bacteria and fungi. The hydrophilic X-module (CipA-X) from the modular scaffoldin subunit of Clostridium thermocellum cellulosome has been proposed to play various roles in cellulosomal function, including thermal and structural stability. Towards elucidating the function of CipA-X using structural and biophysical studies, the region comprising residues 1692-1785 from the C. thermocellum CipA cDNA encoding CipA-X was cloned into a pET21b expression vector. When expressed in Escherichia coli, the C-terminal His-tagged protein accumulated in the insoluble fraction. Cell fractionation experiments showed that the recombinant protein was localized to inclusion bodies. Refolding and purification involved denaturation of the whole cell lysate by addition of urea, followed by a nickel-Sepharose chromatography step and dialysis into native conditions (25 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.4, 50 mM NaCl, and 10 mM EDTA). A final gel filtration step purified the protein to homogeneity, yielding 40 mg/L. The two-dimensional 1H-15N correlation spectrum of uniformly 15N-labelled CipA-X showed the characteristics of a well-folded protein comprising significant beta-structure, which is in agreement with the circular dichroism data.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Cellulosome-like sequences in Archaeoglobus fulgidus: an enigmatic vestige of cohesin and dockerin domains.

The distribution of cellulosomal cohesin domains among the sequences currently compiled in various sequence databases was investigated. Two cohesin domains were detected in two consecutive open reading frames (ORFs) of the recently sequenced genome of the archaeon Archaeoglobus fulgidus. Otherwise, no cohesin-like sequence could be detected in organisms other than those of the Eubacteria. One of the A. fulgidus cohesin-containing ORFs also harbored a dockerin domain, but the additional modular portions of both genes are undefined, both with respect to sequence homology and function. It is currently unclear what function(s) the putative cohesin and dockerin-containing proteins play in the life cycle of this organism. In particular, since A. fulgidus contains no known glycosyl hydrolase gene, the presence of a cellulosome can be excluded. The results suggest that cohesin and dockerin signature sequences cannot be used alone for the definitive identification of cellulosomes in genomes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

A cohesin domain from Clostridium thermocellum: the crystal structure provides new insights into cellulosome assembly.

BACKGROUND: The scaffoldin component of the cellulolytic bacterium Clostridium thermocellum is a non-hydrolytic protein which organizes the hydrolytic enzymes in a large complex, called the cellulosome. Scaffoldin comprises a series of functional domains, amongst which is a single cellulose-binding domain and nine cohesin domains which are responsible for integrating the individual enzymatic subunits into the complex. The cohesin domains are highly conserved in their primary amino acid sequences. These domains interact with a complementary domain, termed the dockerin domain, one of which is located on each enzymatic subunit. The cohesin-dockerin interaction is the crucial interaction for complex formation in the cellulosome. The determination of structural information about the cohesin domain will provide insights into cellulosome assembly and activity. RESULTS: We have determined the three-dimensional crystal structure of one of the cohesin domains from C. thermocellum (cohesin 2) at 2.15 A resolution. The domain forms a nine-stranded beta sandwich with a jelly-roll topology, somewhat similar to the fold displayed by its neighboring cellulose-binding domain. CONCLUSIONS: The compact nature of the cohesin structure and its lack of a defined binding pocket suggests that binding between the cohesin and dockerin domains is characterized by interactions between exposed surface residues. As the cohesin-dockerin interaction appears to be rather nonselective, the binding face would presumably be characterized by surface residues which exhibit both intraspecies conservation and interspecies dissimilarity. Within the same species, unconserved surface residues may reflect the position of a given cohesin domain within the scaffoldin subunit, its orientation and interactions with neighboring domains.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The anchorage function of CipA (CelL), a scaffolding protein of the Clostridium thermocellum cellulosome.

Enzymatic cellulose degradation is a heterogeneous reaction requiring binding of soluble cellulase molecules to the solid substrate. Based on our studies of the cellulase complex of Clostridium thermocellum (the cellulosome), we have previously proposed that such binding can be brought about by a special "anchorage subunit." In this "anchor-enzyme" model, CipA (a major subunit of the cellulosome) enhances the activity of CelS (the most abundant catalytic subunit of the cellulosome) by anchoring it to the cellulose surface. We have subsequently reported that CelS contains a conserved duplicated sequence at its C terminus and that CipA contains nine repeated sequences with a cellulose binding domain (CBD) in between the second and third repeats. In this work, we reexamined the anchor-enzyme mechanism by using recombinant CelS (rCelS) and various CipA domains, CBD, R3 (the repeat next to CBD), and CBD/R3, expressed in Escherichia coli. As analyzed by non-denaturing gel electrophoresis, rCelS, through its conserved duplicated sequence, formed a stable complex with R3 or CBD/R3 but not with CBD. Although R3 or CBD alone did not affect the binding of rCelS to cellulose, such binding was dependent on CBD/R3, indicating the anchorage role of CBD/R3. Such anchorage apparently increased the rCelS activity toward crystalline cellulose. These results substantiate the proposed anchor-enzyme model and the expected roles of individual CipA domains and the conserved duplicated sequence of CelS.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Design and production of active cellulosome chimeras. Selective incorporation of dockerin-containing enzymes into defined functional complexes.

Defined chimeric cellulosomes were produced in which selected enzymes were incorporated in specific locations within a multicomponent complex. The molecular building blocks of this approach are based on complementary protein modules from the cellulosomes of two clostridia, Clostridium thermocellum and Clostridium cellulolyticum, wherein cellulolytic enzymes are incorporated into the complexes by means of high-affinity species-specific cohesin-dockerin interactions. To construct the desired complexes, a series of chimeric scaffoldins was prepared by recombinant means. The scaffoldin chimeras were designed to include two cohesin modules from the different species, optionally connected to a cellulose-binding domain. The two divergent cohesins exhibited distinct specificities such that each recognized selectively and bound strongly to its dockerin counterpart. Using this strategy, appropriate dockerin-containing enzymes could be assembled precisely and by design into a desired complex. Compared with the mixture of free cellulases, the resultant cellulosome chimeras exhibited enhanced synergistic action on crystalline cellulose.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

Degradation of cellulose substrates by cellulosome chimeras. Substrate targeting versus proximity of enzyme components.

A library of 75 different chimeric cellulosomes was constructed as an extension of our previously described approach for the production of model functional complexes (Fierobe, H.-P., Mechaly, A., Tardif, C., Bélaich, A., Lamed, R., Shoham, Y., Bélaich, J.-P., and Bayer, E. A. (2001) J. Biol. Chem. 276, 21257-21261), based on the high affinity species-specific cohesin-dockerin interaction. Each complex contained three protein components: (i) a chimeric scaffoldin possessing an optional cellulose-binding module and two cohesins of divergent specificity, and (ii) two cellulases, each bearing a dockerin complementary to one of the divergent cohesins. The activities of the resultant ternary complexes were assayed using different types of cellulose substrates. Organization of cellulolytic enzymes into cellulosome chimeras resulted in characteristically high activities on recalcitrant substrates, whereas the cellulosome chimeras showed little or no advantage over free enzyme systems on tractable substrates. On recalcitrant cellulose, the presence of a cellulose-binding domain on the scaffoldin and enzyme proximity on the resultant complex contributed almost equally to their elevated action on the substrate. For certain enzyme pairs, however, one effect appeared to predominate over the other. The results also indicate that substrate recalcitrance is not necessarily a function of its crystallinity but reflects the overall accessibility of reactive sites.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Chi18A, the endochitinase in the cellulosome of the thermophilic, cellulolytic bacterium Clostridium thermocellum.

The chitinase gene chiA was identified on the Clostridium thermocellum genome downstream of the endoglucanase gene celA. It contains a catalytic module of glycosyl hydrolase family 18 and a cellulosomal dockerin module. Chi18A hydrolyzes aryl-acetyl-chito-oligosaccharides preferentially. In denaturing electrophoresis of purified cellulosomes, a single chitinase activity band was identified in zymograms and Western blots, indicating that Chi18A is the only chitinase in the cellulosome.

Chitinases↗

Subcellular localization of Clostridium thermocellum ORF3p, a protein carrying a receptor for the docking sequence borne by the catalytic components of the cellulosome.

The ORF3 gene of Clostridium thermocellum encodes a polypeptide (ORF3p) which contains a receptor domain for the docking sequence borne by the catalytic subunits of the cellulosome and a triplicated domain related to some bacterial cell surface proteins. It was thus surmised that ORF3p is a surface protein. In this study, this hypothesis was confirmed. Subcellular fractionation, Western blotting (immunoblotting), and electron microscopy of immunocytochemically labeled cells indicated that ORF3p produced by C. thermocellum was located in the outer surface layer of the bacterium. This layer appeared to consist of a soft matrix shedding off particulate fragments. Nonsedimenting ORF3p derived from sonicated cells was associated with high-molecular-mass fractions (> 20 MDa), probably corresponding to fragments of the outer cell layer. The same high-molecular-mass fractions also contained the cellulosomal marker CipA. Contrary to CipA, however, ORF3p was not associated with 2- to 4-MDa fractions corresponding to individual cellulosomes, and a significant fraction of ORF3p failed to bind to cellulose. It is proposed that ORF3 and ORF3p be renamed olpA and OlpA, respectively (for outer layer protein).

Antibodies, Bacterial↗

The processive endocellulase CelF, a major component of the Clostridium cellulolyticum cellulosome: purification and characterization of the recombinant form.

The recombinant form of the cellulase CelF of Clostridium cellulolyticum, tagged by a C-terminal histine tail, was overproduced in Escherichia coli. The fusion protein was purified by affinity chromatography on a Ni-nitrilotriacetic acid column. The intact form of CelF (Mr, 79,000) was rapidly degraded at the C terminus, giving a shorter stable form, called truncated CelF (Mr, 71,000). Both the entire and the truncated purified forms degraded amorphous cellulose (kcat = 42 and 30 min(-1), respectively) and microcrystalline cellulose (kcat = 13 and 10 min(-1), respectively). The high ratio of soluble reducing ends to insoluble reducing ends released by truncated CelF from amorphous cellulose showed that CelF is a processive enzyme. Nevertheless, the diversity of the cellodextrins released by truncated CelF from phosphoric acid-swollen cellulose at the beginning of the reaction indicated that the enzyme might randomly hydrolyze beta-1,4 bonds. This hypothesis was supported by viscosimetric measurements and by the finding that CelF and the endoglucanase CelA are able to degrade some of the same cellulose sites. CelF was therefore called a processive endocellulase. The results of immunoblotting analysis showed that CelF was associated with the cellulosome of C. cellulolyticum. It was identified as one of the three major components of cellulosomes. The ability of the entire form of CelF to interact with CipC, the cellulosome integrating protein, or mini-CipC1, a recombinant truncated form of CipC, was monitored by interaction Western blotting (immunoblotting) and by binding assays using a BIAcore biosensor-based analytical system.

Bacterial Proteins↗