X-Ray crystal structure of the multidomain endoglucanase Cel9G from Clostridium cellulolyticum complexed with natural and synthetic cello-oligosaccharides

Enzyme diversity of the cellulolytic system produced by Clostridium cellulolyticum explored by two-dimensional analysis: identification of seven genes encoding new dockerin-containing proteins

The enzyme diversity of the cellulolytic system produced by Clostridium cellulolyticum grown on crystalline cellulose as a sole carbon and energy source was explored by two-dimensional electrophoresis. The cellulolytic system of C. cellulolyticum is composed of at least 30 dockerin-containing proteins (designated cellulosomal proteins) and 30 noncellulosomal components. Most of the known cellulosomal proteins, including CipC, Cel48F, Cel8C, Cel9G, Cel9E, Man5K, Cel9M, and Cel5A, were identified by using two-dimensional Western blot analysis with specific antibodies, whereas Cel5N, Cel9J, and Cel44O were identified by using N-terminal sequencing. Unknown enzymes having carboxymethyl cellulase or xylanase activities were detected by zymogram analysis of two-dimensional gels. Some of these enzymes were identified by N-terminal sequencing as homologs of proteins listed in the NCBI database. Using Trap-Dock PCR and DNA walking, seven genes encoding new dockerin-containing proteins were cloned and sequenced. Some of these genes are clustered. Enzymes encoded by these genes belong to glycoside hydrolase families GH2, GH9, GH10, GH26, GH27, and GH59. Except for members of family GH9, which contains only cellulases, the new modular glycoside hydrolases discovered in this work could be involved in the degradation of different hemicellulosic substrates, such as xylan or galactomannan.

Recent developments on cellulases and carbohydrate-binding modules with cellulose affinity

This review concerns basic research on cellulases and cellulose-specific carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs). As a background, glycosyl hydrolases are also briefly reviewed. The nomenclature of cellulases and CBMs is discussed. The main cellulase-producing organisms and their cellulases are described. Synergy, enantioseparation, cellulases in plants, cellulosomes, cellulases and CBMs as analytical tools and cellulase-like enzymes are also briefly reviewed.

Clostridium cellulolyticum: model organism of mesophilic cellulolytic clostridia

Clostridium cellulolyticum ATCC 35319 is a non-ruminal mesophilic cellulolytic bacterium originally isolated from decayed grass. As with most truly cellulolytic clostridia, C. cellulolyticum possesses an extracellular multi-enzymatic complex, the cellulosome. The catalytic components of the cellulosome release soluble cello-oligosaccharides from cellulose providing the primary carbon substrates to support bacterial growth. As most cellulolytic bacteria, C. cellulolyticum was initially characterised by limited carbon consumption and subsequent limited growth in comparison to other saccharolytic clostridia. The first metabolic studies performed in batch cultures suggested nutrient(s) limitation and/or by-product(s) inhibition as the reasons for this limited growth. In most recent investigations using chemostat cultures, metabolic flux analysis suggests a self-intoxication of bacterial metabolism resulting from an inefficiently regulated carbon flow. The investigation of C. cellulolyticum physiology with cellobiose, as a model of soluble cellodextrin, and with pure cellulose, as a carbon source more closely related to lignocellulosic compounds, strengthen the idea of a bacterium particularly well adapted, and even restricted, to a cellulolytic lifestyle. The metabolic flux analysis from continuous cultures revealed that (i) in comparison to cellobiose, the cellulose hydrolysis by the cellulosome introduces an extra regulation of entering carbon flow resulting in globally lower metabolic fluxes on cellulose than on cellobiose, (ii) the glucose 1-phosphate/glucose 6-phosphate branch point controls the carbon flow directed towards glycolysis and dissipates carbon excess towards the formation of cellodextrins, glycogen and exopolysaccharides, (iii) the pyruvate/acetyl-CoA metabolic node is essential to the regulation of electronic and energetic fluxes. This in-depth analysis of C. cellulolyticum metabolism has permitted the first attempt to engineer metabolically a cellulolytic microorganism.

Recombinant expression and enzymatic characterization of PttCel9A, a KOR homologue from Populus tremula x tremuloides

PttCel9A is a membrane-bound, family 9 glycosyl hydrolase from Populus tremula x tremuloides that is upregulated during secondary cell wall synthesis. The catalytic domain of PttCel9A, Delta(1-105)PttCel9A, was purified, and its activity was compared to TfCel9A and TfCel9B from Thermobifida fusca. Since aromatic amino acids involved in substrate binding at subsites -4, -3, and -2 are missing in PttCel9A, the activity of TfCel9A mutant enzymes W256S, W209A, and W313G was also investigated. Delta(1-105)PttCel9A hydrolyzed a comparatively narrow range of polymeric substrates, and the preferred substrate was (carboxymethyl)cellulose 4M. Moreover, Delta(1-105)PttCel9A did not hydrolyze oligosaccharides shorter than cellopentaose, whereas TfCel9A and TfCel9B hydrolyzed cellotetraose and cellotriose, respectively. These data suggest that the preferred substrates of PttCel9A are long, low-substituted, soluble cellulosic polymers. At 30 degrees C and pH 6.0, the kcat for cellohexaose of Delta(1-105)PttCel9A, TfCel9A, and TfCel9B were 0.023 +/- 0.001, 16.9 +/- 2.0, and 1.3 +/- 0.2, respectively. The catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) of TfCel9B was 39% of that of TfCel9A, whereas the catalytic efficiency of Delta(1-105)PttCel9A was 0.04% of that of TfCel9A. Removing tryptophan residues at subsites -4, -3, and -2 decreased the efficiency of cellohexaose hydrolysis by TfCel9A. Mutation of W313 to G had the most drastic effect, producing a mutant enzyme with 1% of the catalytic efficiency of TfCel9A. The apparent narrow substrate range and catalytic efficiency of PttCel9A are correlated with a lack of aromatic amino acids in the substrate binding cleft and may be necessary to prevent excessive hydrolysis of cell wall polysaccharides during cell wall formation.

Structural basis for the exocellulase activity of the cellobiohydrolase CbhA from Clostridium thermocellum

Numerous bacterial and fungal organisms have evolved elaborate sets of modular glycoside hydrolases and similar enzymes aimed at the degradation of polymeric carbohydrates. Presently, on the basis of sequence similarity catalytic modules of these enzymes have been classified into 90 families. Representatives of a particular family display similar fold and catalytic mechanisms. However, within families distinctions occur with regard to enzymatic properties and type of activity against carbohydrate chains. Cellobiohydrolase CbhA from Clostridium thermocellum is a large seven-modular enzyme with a catalytic module belonging to family 9. In contrast to other representatives of that family possessing only endo- and, in few cases, endo/exo-cellulase activities, CbhA is exclusively an exocellulase. The crystal structures of the combination of the immunoglobulin-like module and the catalytic module of CbhA (Ig-GH9_CbhA) and that of an inactive mutant Ig-GH9_CbhA(E795Q) in complex with cellotetraose (CTT) are reported here. The detailed analysis of these structures reveals that, while key catalytic residues and overall fold are conserved in this enzyme and those of other family 9 glycoside hydrolases, the active site of GH9_CbhA is blocked off after the -2 subsite. This feature which is created by an extension and altered conformation of a single loop region explains the inability of the active site of CbhA to accommodate a long cellulose chain and to cut it internally. This altered loop region is responsible for the exocellulolytic activity of the enzyme.