Enzymatic hydrolysis of bacterial cellulose

Defining the Frontiers of Synergism between Cellulolytic Enzymes for Improved Hydrolysis of Lignocellulosic Feedstocks

Lignocellulose has economic potential as a bio-resource for the production of value-added products (VAPs) and biofuels. The commercialization of biofuels and VAPs requires efficient enzyme cocktail activities that can lower their costs. However, the basis of the synergism between enzymes that compose cellulolytic enzyme cocktails for depolymerizing lignocellulose is not understood. This review aims to address the degree of synergism (DS) thresholds between the cellulolytic enzymes and how this can be used in the formulation of effective cellulolytic enzyme cocktails. DS is a powerful tool that distinguishes between enzymes’ synergism and anti-synergism during the hydrolysis of biomass. It has been established that cellulases, or cellulases and lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs), always synergize during cellulose hydrolysis. However, recent evidence suggests that this is not always the case, as synergism depends on the specific mechanism of action of each enzyme in the combination. Additionally, expansins, nonenzymatic proteins responsible for loosening cell wall fibers, seem to also synergize with cellulases during biomass depolymerization. This review highlighted the following four key factors linked to DS: (1) a DS threshold at which the enzymes synergize and produce a higher product yield than their theoretical sum, (2) a DS threshold at which the enzymes display synergism, but not a higher product yield, (3) a DS threshold at which enzymes do not synergize, and (4) a DS threshold that displays anti-synergy. This review deconvolutes the DS concept for cellulolytic enzymes, to postulate an experimental design approach for achieving higher synergism and cellulose conversion yields.

Enzymatic hydrolysis of biomimetic bacterial cellulose-hemicellulose composites

The production of biofuels and other chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass is limited by the inefficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis. Here a biomimetic composite material consisting of bacterial cellulose and wood-based hemicelluloses was used to study the effects of hemicelluloses on the enzymatic hydrolysis with a commercial cellulase mixture. Bacterial cellulose synthesized in the presence of hemicelluloses, especially xylan, was found to be more susceptible to enzymatic hydrolysis than hemicellulose-free bacterial cellulose. The reason for the easier hydrolysis could be related to the nanoscale structure of the substrate, particularly the packing of cellulose microfibrils into ribbons or bundles. In addition, small-angle X-ray scattering was used to show that the average nanoscale morphology of bacterial cellulose remained unchanged during the enzymatic hydrolysis. The reported easier enzymatic hydrolysis of bacterial cellulose produced in the presence of wood-based xylan offers new insights to overcome biomass recalcitrance through genetic engineering.

The accessible cellulose surface influences cellulase synergism during the hydrolysis of lignocellulosic substrates

Effective enzymatic hydrolysis of insoluble cellulose requires the synergistic action of a suite of cellulase components. Most previous studies have only assessed cellulase synergism on model cellulosic substrates. When the actions of individual and combinations of cellulases (Cel7A, Cel6A, Cel7B, Cel5A) were assessed on various pretreated lignocellulosic substrates, Cel7A was shown to be the major contributor to overall cellulose hydrolysis, with the other enzymes synergistically enhancing its hydrolytic efficiency, at least partially, by facilitating Cel7A desorption (assessed by a double-sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). When the influences of various substrate physicochemical characteristics on the effectiveness of enzyme synergism were assessed, a strong relationship was observed between cellulose accessibility (as determined by the cellulose binding module technique) and the degree of synergism, with greater synergy observed on the more disorganized/accessible cellulose surface.

One-step synthesis of cellulose from cellobiose via protic acid-assisted enzymatic dehydration in aprotic organic media

Direct and efficient enzymatic synthesis of long-chain cellulose from cellobiose in its original form was successfully achieved via the combination of a surfactant-enveloped enzyme (SEE) and a protic acid in an aprotic organic solvent, lithium chloride/N,N-dimethylacetamide system. The SEE biocatalyst was prepared by protecting the surface of cellulase with the nonionic surfactant dioleyl-N-D-glucona-L-glutamate for keeping its enzymatic activity in nonaqueous media. Fourier transform infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses elucidated the successful synthesis of cellulose, β-1,4-linked D-glucopyranose polymer, through the reverse hydrolysis of cellobiose. By using protic acid cocatalysts, a degree of polymerization of as-synthesized cellulose reached more than 120, in a ca. 26% conversion, which was 5 times higher than that obtained in an acid-free SEE system. A novel-concept biocatalysis, i.e., a protic acid-assisted SEE-mediated reaction, enables a facile, one-step chain elongation of carbohydrates without any activation via multistep organic chemistry, and can provide potential applications in the functional design of glycomaterials.

An amperometric enzyme biosensor for real-time measurements of cellobiohydrolase activity on insoluble cellulose

An amperometric enzyme biosensor for continuous detection of cellobiose has been implemented as an enzyme assay for cellulases. We show that the initial kinetics for cellobiohydrolase I, Cel7A from Trichoderma reesei, acting on different types of cellulose substrates, semi-crystalline and amorphous, can be monitored directly and in real-time by an enzyme-modified electrode based on cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH) from Phanerochaete chrysosporium (Pc). PcCDH was cross-linked and immobilized on the surface of a carbon paste electrode which contained a mediator, benzoquinone. An oxidation current of the reduced mediator, hydroquinone, produced by the CDH-catalyzed reaction with cellobiose, was recorded under constant-potential amperometry at +0.5 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). The CDH-biosensors showed high sensitivity (87.7 µA mM(-1) cm(-2)), low detection limit (25 nM), and fast response time (t(95%) ≈ 3 s) and this provided experimental access to the transient kinetics of cellobiohydrolases acting on insoluble cellulose. The response from the CDH-biosensor during enzymatic hydrolysis was corrected for the specificity of PcCDH for the β-anomer of cello-oligosaccharides and the approach were validated against HPLC. It is suggested that quantitative, real-time data on pure insoluble cellulose substrates will be useful in attempts to probe the molecular mechanism underlying enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose.

Endo-exo synergism in cellulose hydrolysis revisited

Synergistic cooperation of different enzymes is a prerequisite for efficient degradation of cellulose. The conventional mechanistic interpretation of the synergism between randomly acting endoglucanases (EGs) and chain end-specific processive cellobiohydrolases (CBHs) is that EG-generated new chain ends on cellulose surface serve as starting points for CBHs. Here we studied the hydrolysis of bacterial cellulose (BC) by CBH TrCel7A and EG TrCel5A from Trichoderma reesei under both single-turnover and "steady state" conditions. Unaccountable by conventional interpretation, the presence of EG increased the rate constant of TrCel7A-catalyzed hydrolysis of BC in steady state. At optimal enzyme/substrate ratios, the "steady state" rate of synergistic hydrolysis became limited by the velocity of processive movement of TrCel7A on BC. A processivity value of 66 ± 7 cellobiose units measured for TrCel7A on (14)C-labeled BC was close to the leveling off degree of polymerization of BC, suggesting that TrCel7A cannot pass through the amorphous regions on BC and stalls. We propose a mechanism of endo-exo synergism whereby the degradation of amorphous regions by EG avoids the stalling of TrCel7A and leads to its accelerated recruitment. Hydrolysis of pretreated wheat straw suggested that this mechanism of synergism is operative also in the degradation of lignocellulose. Although both mechanisms of synergism are used in parallel, the contribution of conventional mechanism is significant only at high enzyme/substrate ratios.

A review of lignocellulose bioconversion using enzymatic hydrolysis and synergistic cooperation between enzymes--factors affecting enzymes, conversion and synergy

Lignocellulose is a complex substrate which requires a variety of enzymes, acting in synergy, for its complete hydrolysis. These synergistic interactions between different enzymes have been investigated in order to design optimal combinations and ratios of enzymes for different lignocellulosic substrates that have been subjected to different pretreatments. This review examines the enzymes required to degrade various components of lignocellulose and the impact of pretreatments on the lignocellulose components and the enzymes required for degradation. Many factors affect the enzymes and the optimisation of the hydrolysis process, such as enzyme ratios, substrate loadings, enzyme loadings, inhibitors, adsorption and surfactants. Consideration is also given to the calculation of degrees of synergy and yield. A model is further proposed for the optimisation of enzyme combinations based on a selection of individual or commercial enzyme mixtures. The main area for further study is the effect of and interaction between different hemicellulases on complex substrates.

Visualization of cellobiohydrolase I from Trichoderma reesei moving on crystalline cellulose using high-speed atomic force microscopy

Cellulases hydrolyze β-1,4-glucosidic linkages of insoluble cellulose at the solid/liquid interface, generating soluble cellooligosaccharides. We describe here our method for real-time observation of the behavior of cellulase molecules on the substrate, using high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM). When glycoside hydrolase family 7 cellobiohydrolase from Trichoderma reesei (TrCel7A) was incubated with crystalline cellulose, many enzyme molecules were observed to move unidirectionally on the surface of the substrate by HS-AFM. The velocity of the moving molecules of TrCel7A on cellulose I crystals was estimated by means of image analysis.

Inactivation of shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and degradation and removal of cellulose from STEC surfaces by using selected enzymatic and chemical treatments

Some Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains produce extracellular cellulose, a long polymer of glucose with β-1-4 glycosidic bonds. This study evaluated the efficacies of selected enzymatic and chemical treatments in inactivating STEC and degrading/removing the cellulose on STEC surfaces. Six cellulose-producing STEC strains were treated with cellulase (0.51 to 3.83 U/15 ml), acetic and lactic acids (2 and 4%), as well as an acidic and alkaline sanitizer (manufacturers' recommended concentrations) under appropriate conditions. Following each treatment, residual amounts of cellulose and surviving populations of STEC were determined. Treatments with acetic and lactic acids significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the populations of STEC, and those with lactic acid also significantly decreased the amounts of cellulose on STEC. The residual amounts of cellulose on STEC positively correlated to the surviving populations of STEC after the treatments with the organic acids (r = 0.64 to 0.94), and the significance of the correlations ranged from 83 to 99%. Treatments with cellulase and the sanitizers both degraded cellulose. However, treatments with cellulase had no influence on the fate of STEC, and those with the sanitizers reduced STEC cell populations to undetectable levels. Thus, the correlations between the residual amounts of cellulose and the surviving populations of STEC caused by these two treatments were not observed. The results suggest that the selected enzymatic and chemical agents degraded and removed the cellulose on STEC surfaces, and the treatments with organic acids and sanitizers also inactivated STEC cells. The amounts of cellulose produced by STEC strains appear to affect their susceptibilities to certain sanitizing treatments.

Oxidoreductive cellulose depolymerization by the enzymes cellobiose dehydrogenase and glycoside hydrolase 61

Several members of the glycoside hydrolase 61 (GH61) family of proteins have recently been shown to dramatically increase the breakdown of lignocellulosic biomass by microbial hydrolytic cellulases. However, purified GH61 proteins have neither demonstrable direct hydrolase activity on various polysaccharide or lignacious components of biomass nor an apparent hydrolase active site. Cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH) is a secreted flavocytochrome produced by many cellulose-degrading fungi with no well-understood biological function. Here we demonstrate that the binary combination of Thermoascus aurantiacus GH61A (TaGH61A) and Humicola insolens CDH (HiCDH) cleaves cellulose into soluble, oxidized oligosaccharides. TaGH61A-HiCDH activity on cellulose is shown to be nonredundant with the activities of canonical endocellulase and exocellulase enzymes in microcrystalline cellulose cleavage, and while the combination of TaGH61A and HiCDH cleaves highly crystalline bacterial cellulose, it does not cleave soluble cellodextrins. GH61 and CDH proteins are coexpressed and secreted by the thermophilic ascomycete Thielavia terrestris in response to environmental cellulose, and the combined activities of T. terrestris GH61 and T. terrestris CDH are shown to synergize with T. terrestris cellulose hydrolases in the breakdown of cellulose. The action of GH61 and CDH on cellulose may constitute an important, but overlooked, biological oxidoreductive system that functions in microbial lignocellulose degradation and has applications in industrial biomass utilization.

Activation of crystalline cellulose to cellulose IIII results in efficient hydrolysis by cellobiohydrolase

The crystalline polymorphic form of cellulose (cellulose I(alpha)-rich) of the green alga, Cladophora, was converted into cellulose III(I) and I(beta) by supercritical ammonium and hydrothermal treatments, respectively, and the hydrolytic rate and the adsorption of Trichoderma viride cellobiohydrolase I (Cel7A) on these products were evaluated by a novel analysis based on the surface density of the enzyme. Cellobiose production from cellulose III(I) was more than 5 times higher than that from cellulose I. However, the amount of enzyme adsorbed on cellulose III(I) was less than twice that on cellulose I, and the specific activity of the adsorbed enzyme for cellulose III(I) was more than 3 times higher than that for cellulose I. When cellulose III(I) was converted into cellulose I(beta) by hydrothermal treatment, cellobiose production was dramatically decreased, although no significant change was observed in enzyme adsorption. This clearly indicates that the enhanced hydrolysis of cellulose III(I) is related to the structure of the crystalline polymorph. Thus, supercritical ammonium treatment activates crystalline cellulose for hydrolysis by cellobiohydrolase.

Surface density of cellobiohydrolase on crystalline celluloses

The enzymatic kinetics of glycoside hydrolase family 7 cellobiohydrolase (Cel7A) towards highly crystalline celluloses at the solid-liquid interface was evaluated by applying the novel concept of surface density (rho) of the enzyme, which is defined as the amount of adsorbed enzyme divided by the maximum amount of adsorbed enzyme. When the adsorption levels of Trichoderma viride Cel7A on cellulose I(alpha) from Cladophora and cellulose I(beta) from Halocynthia were compared, the maximum adsorption of the enzyme on cellulose I(beta) was approximately 1.5 times higher than that on cellulose I(alpha), although the rate of cellobiose production from cellulose I(beta) was lower than that from cellulose I(alpha). This indicates that the specific activity (k) of Cel7A adsorbed on cellulose I(alpha) is higher than that of Cel7A adsorbed on cellulose I(beta). When k was plotted versus rho, a dramatic decrease of the specific activity was observed with the increase of surface density (rho-value), suggesting that overcrowding of enzyme molecules on a cellulose surface lowers their activity. An apparent difference of the specific activity was observed between crystalline polymorphs, i.e. the specific activity for cellulose I(alpha) was almost twice that for cellulose I(beta). When cellulose I(alpha) was converted to cellulose I(beta) by hydrothermal treatment, the specific activity of Cel7A decreased and became similar to that of native cellulose I(beta) at the same rho-value. These results indicate that the hydrolytic activity (rate) of bound Cel7A depends on the nature of the crystalline cellulose polymorph, and an analysis that takes surface density into account is an effective means to evaluate cellulase kinetics at a solid-liquid interface.

Changes in the structural properties and rate of hydrolysis of cotton fibers during extended enzymatic hydrolysis

An extended enzymatic hydrolysis of cotton fibers by crude cellulase from Trichoderma pseudokoningii S-38 is described with characterization of both the enzyme changes of activities and cellulose structure. The hydrolysis rates declined drastically during the early stage and then slowly and steadily throughout the whole hydrolysis process the same trend could be seen during the following re-hydrolysis process. Morphological and structural changes to the fibers, such as swelling, frequent surface erosion, and variation in the packing and orientation of microfibrils, were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Observation of X-ray diffraction and IR spectra suggests that the hydrolysis process results in a gradual increase in the relative intensity of the hydrogen bond network, and a gradual decrease in the apparent crystal size of cellulose. The I(alpha) crystal phase was hydrolyzed more easily than was the I(beta) crystal phase. Apart from the inactivation of CBHs activity, changes in the packing and arrangement of microfibrils and the structural heterogeneity of cellulose during hydrolysis could be responsible for the reduction in the rate of reaction, especially in its later stages. The results indicate that the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose occurs on the outer layer of the fiber surface and that, following this, the process continues in a sub-layer manner.

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.

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.

Synergistic cellulose hydrolysis can be described in terms of fractal-like kinetics

A fractal-like kinetics model was used to describe the synergistic hydrolysis of bacterial cellulose by Trichoderma reesei cellulases. The synergistic action of intact cellobiohydrolase Cel7A and endoglucanase Cel5A at low enzyme-to-substrate ratios showed an apparent substrate inhibition consistent with a case where two-dimensional (2-D) surface diffusion of the cellobiohydrolase is rate-limiting. The action of Cel7A core and Cel5A was instead consistent with a three-dimensional (3-D) diffusion-based mode of action. The synergistic action of intact Cel7A was far superior to that of the core at a high enzyme-to-substrate ratio, but this effect was gradually reduced at lower enzyme-to-substrate ratios. The apparent fractal kinetics exponent h obtained by nonlinear fit of hydrolysis data to the fractal-like kinetics analogue of a first-order reaction was a useful empirical parameter for assessing the rate retardation and its dependence on the reaction conditions.

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.

Mechanism of substrate inhibition in cellulose synergistic degradation

A comprehensive experimental study of substrate inhibition in cellulose hydrolysis based on a well defined system is presented. The hydrolysis of bacterial cellulose by synergistically operating binary mixtures of cellobiohydrolase I from Trichoderma reesei and five different endoglucanases as well as their catalytic domains displays a characteristic substrate inhibition. This inhibition phenomenon is shown to require the two-domain structure of an intact cellobiohydrolase. The experimental data were in accordance with a mechanism where cellobiohydrolases previously bound to the cellulose by means of their cellulose binding domains are able to find chain ends by lateral diffusion. An increased substrate concentration at a fixed enzyme load will also increase the average diffusion distance/time needed for cellobiohydrolases to reach new chain ends created by endoglucanases, resulting in an apparent substrate inhibition of the synergistic action. The connection between the binding properties and the substrate inhibition is encouraging with respect to molecular engineering of the binding domain for optimal performance in biotechnological processes.

An amperometric cellobiose dehydrogenase-based biosensor can be used for measurement of cellulase activity

The hemoflavoenzyme cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH, EC 1.1.99.18) from Phanerochaete chrysosporium has been used in an amperometric redox polymer-based biosensor. Used in conjugation with a FIA system this biosensor can replace colorimetric assays for measuring cellobiose liberated from cellulose in a series of cellulase-containing samples. The biosensor gave the same result as the Somogyi-Nelson method in a less time-consuming and laborious manner. The two methods showed about the same precision.

A critical review of cellobiose dehydrogenases

Cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH) is an extracellular enzyme produced by various wood-degrading fungi. It oxidizes soluble cellodextrins, mannodextrins and lactose efficiently to their corresponding lactones by a ping-pong mechanism using a wide spectrum of electron acceptors including quinones, phenoxyradicals, Fe(3+), Cu(2+) and triiodide ion. Monosaccharides, maltose and molecular oxygen are poor substrates. CDH that adsorbs strongly and specifically to cellulose carries two prosthetic groups; namely, an FAD and a heme in two different domains that can be separated after limited proteolysis. The FAD-containing fragment carries all known catalytic and cellulose binding properties. One-electron acceptors, like ferricyanide, cytochrome c and phenoxy radicals, are, however, reduced more slowly by the FAD-fragment than by the intact enzyme, suggesting that the function of the heme group is to facilitate one-electron transfer. Non-heme forms of CDH have been found in the culture filtrate of some fungi (probably due to the action of fungal proteases) and were for a long time believed to represent a separate enzyme (cellobiose:quinone oxidoreductase, CBQ). The amino acid sequence of CDH has been determined and no significant homology with other proteins was detected for the heme domain. The FAD-domain sequence belongs to the GMC oxidoreductase family that includes, among others, Aspergillus niger glucose oxidase. The homology is most distinct in regions that correspond to the FAD-binding domain in glucose oxidase. A cellulose-binding domain of the fungal type is present in CDH from Myceliophtore thermophila (Sporotrichum thermophile), but in others an internal sequence rich in aromatic amino acid residues has been suggested to be responsible for the cellulose binding. The biological function of CDH is not fully understood, but recent results support a hydroxyl radical-generating mechanism whereby the radical can degrade and modify cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. CDH has found technical use in highly selective amperometric biosensors and several other applications have been suggested.

Acid hydrolysis of bacterial cellulose reveals different modes of synergistic action between cellobiohydrolase I and endoglucanase I

Intact and partially acid hydrolyzed cellulose from Acetobacter xylinum were used as model substrates for cellulose hydrolysis by 1,4-beta-D-glucan-cellobiohydrolase I (CBH I) and 1,4-beta-D-endoglucanase I (EG I) from Trichoderma reesei. A high synergy between CBH I and EG I in simultaneous action was observed with intact bacterial cellulose (BC), but this synergistic effect was rapidly reduced by acid pretreatment of the cellulose. Moreover, a distinct synergistic effect was observed upon sequential endo-exo action on BC, but not on bacterial microcrystalline cellulose (BMCC). A mechanism for endo-exo synergism on crystalline cellulose is proposed where the simultaneous action of the enzymes counteract the decrease of activity caused by undesirable changes in the cellulose surface microstructure.

Unidirectional processive action of cellobiohydrolase Cel7A on Valonia cellulose microcrystals

On the basis of the 'parallel-up' structure of the cellulose crystal, a crystallographic approach to study the mode of action of cellobiohydrolase Cel7A on Valonia cellulose microcrystal has been carried out. After incubation with Cel7A, most of the initially smooth and well defined Valonia microcrystals displayed fibrillation. However, as the hydrolysis reaction was rather heterogeneous, some microcrystals remained superficially intact. Close investigation on such crystals revealed polar morphology: one end was narrowed extremely or pointed. Electron microdiffraction analysis of these crystals evidenced that the narrowing of the microcrystals occurs at their reducing end side. This was also confirmed by the visualization of selective reducing end labeling at the pointed ends of microcrystals. These lines of investigation are the first demonstration that the processivity of Cel7A action against insoluble highly crystalline celluloses is unambiguously toward non-reducing ends from reducing ends.