Formation, Location, and Regulation of Endo-1,4-β-Glucanases and β-Glucosidases from Cellulomonas uda

Halophilic and Halotolerant Actinomycetes of Sambhar Salt Lake, India: Screening and Optimization of Cellulolytic Activity

Actinomycetes are Gram-positive filamentous bacteria well known for the production of bioactive compounds. Recently, many halophilic habitats have been explored for isolation of actinomycetes that exhibit biotechnological potentials. In this investigation, a saline habitat of Rajasthan, Sambhar Salt Lake (SSL) was selected to study the actinomycetes population and Carboxy Methyl Cellulase (CMCase) production by native isolates. A total of sixteen actinomycete isolates, halotolerant and moderately halophilic, were obtained using culture-dependent methods and characterized morphologically and biochemically. They were identified as members of Streptomyces, Nocardiopsis, Pseudonocardia, Saccharospolyspora, and Microbispora. Streptomyces was the most dominating genus, followed by Nocardiopsis. Agar plate assay was used for screening the isolates for CMCase production. Thirteen were found to produce the enzyme, apparent by hydrolysis observed on media plates. The highest relative activity of 22.04 was shown by isolate SSL 14 identified as Nocardiopsis sp. by 16S rDNA sequencing studies and thus selected for further optimization studies. Maximum enzyme (1.08 ± 0.09 U/ml) was produced using medium containing Carboxy Methyl Cellulose (Carbon source) and yeast extract (nitrogen source) at 12% NaCl and pH 9.0, incubated at 30 °C for 96 h. Maximum CMCase production at high salt concentration and pH suggests that Nocardiopsis SSL 14 can be used for industrial processes that operate under excessive saline and alkaline conditions.

Optimization of bioprocesses with Brewers’ spent grain and Cellulomonas uda

Brewers’ spent grain (BSG) is a low‐value by‐product of the brewing process, which is produced in large quantities every year. In this study, the lignocellulosic feedstock (solid BSG) was used to optimize fermentations with Cellulomonas uda. Under aerobic conditions, maximum cellulase activities of 0.98 nkat∙mL⁻¹, maximum xylanase activities of 5.00 nkat∙mL⁻¹ and cell yields of 0.22 g_Cells∙g_BSG⁻¹ were achieved. Under anaerobic conditions, enzyme activities and cell yields were lower, but valuable liquid products (organic acids, ethanol) were produced with a yield of 0.41 g_Prod∙g_BSG⁻¹. The growth phase of the organisms was monitored by measuring extracellular concentrations of two fluorophores pyridoxin (aerobic) and tryptophan (anaerobic) and by cell count. By combining reductive with anaerobic conditions, the ratio of ethanol to acetate was increased from 1.08 to 1.59 mol_EtOH∙mol_Ac⁻¹. This ratio was further improved to 9.2 mol_EtOH∙mol_Ac⁻¹ by lowering the pH from 7.4 to 5.0 without decreasing the final ethanol concentration. A fermentation in a bioreactor with 15 w% BSG instead of 5 w% BSG quadrupled the acetate concentration, whilst ethanol was removed by gas stripping. This study provides various ideas for optimizing and monitoring fermentations with solid substrates, which can support feasibility and incorporation into holistic biorefining approaches in the future.

Exometabolomic Analysis of Cross-Feeding Metabolites

Microbial consortia have the potential to perform complex, industrially important tasks. The design of microbial consortia requires knowledge of the substrate preferences and metabolic outputs of each member, to allow understanding of potential interactions such as competition and beneficial metabolic exchange. Here, we used exometabolite profiling to follow the resource processing by a microbial co-culture of two biotechnologically relevant microbes, the bacterial cellulose degrader Cellulomonas fimi, and the oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica. We characterized the substrate preferences of the two strains on compounds typically found in lignocellulose hydrolysates. This allowed prediction that specific sugars resulting from hemicellulose polysaccharide degradation by C. fimi may serve as a cross-feeding metabolites to Y. lipolytica in co-culture. We also showed that products of ionic liquid-treated switchgrass lignocellulose degradation by C. fimi were channeled to Y. lipolytica in a co-culture. Additionally, we observed metabolites, such as shikimic acid accumulating in the co-culture supernatants, suggesting the potential for producing interesting co-products. Insights gained from characterizing the exometabolite profiles of individual and co-cultures of the two strains can help to refine this interaction, and guide strategies for making this an industrially viable co-culture to produce valuable products from lignocellulose material.

Aerobic and anaerobic cellulase production by Cellulomonas uda

Cellulomonas uda (DSM 20108/ATCC 21399) is one of the few described cellulolytic facultative anaerobes. Based on these characteristics, we initiated a physiological study of C. uda with the aim to exploit it for cellulase production in simple bioreactors with no or sporadic aeration. Growth, cellulase activity and fermentation product formation were evaluated in different media under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions and in experiments where C. uda was exposed to alternating aerobic/anaerobic growth conditions. Here we show that C. uda behaves as a true facultative anaerobe when cultivated on soluble substrates such as glucose and cellobiose, but for reasons unknown cellulase activity is only induced under aerobic conditions on insoluble cellulosic substrates and not under anaerobic conditions. These findings enhance knowledge on the limited number of described facultative cellulolytic anaerobes, and in addition it greatly limits the utility of C. uda as an 'easy to handle' cellulase producer with low aeration demands.

The genome sequences of Cellulomonas fimi and "Cellvibrio gilvus" reveal the cellulolytic strategies of two facultative anaerobes, transfer of "Cellvibrio gilvus" to the genus Cellulomonas, and proposal of Cellulomonas gilvus sp. nov

Actinobacteria in the genus Cellulomonas are the only known and reported cellulolytic facultative anaerobes. To better understand the cellulolytic strategy employed by these bacteria, we sequenced the genome of the Cellulomonas fimi ATCC 484(T). For comparative purposes, we also sequenced the genome of the aerobic cellulolytic "Cellvibrio gilvus" ATCC 13127(T). An initial analysis of these genomes using phylogenetic and whole-genome comparison revealed that "Cellvibrio gilvus" belongs to the genus Cellulomonas. We thus propose to assign "Cellvibrio gilvus" to the genus Cellulomonas. A comparative genomics analysis between these two Cellulomonas genome sequences and the recently completed genome for Cellulomonas flavigena ATCC 482(T) showed that these cellulomonads do not encode cellulosomes but appear to degrade cellulose by secreting multi-domain glycoside hydrolases. Despite the minimal number of carbohydrate-active enzymes encoded by these genomes, as compared to other known cellulolytic organisms, these bacteria were found to be proficient at degrading and utilizing a diverse set of carbohydrates, including crystalline cellulose. Moreover, they also encode for proteins required for the fermentation of hexose and xylose sugars into products such as ethanol. Finally, we found relatively few significant differences between the predicted carbohydrate-active enzymes encoded by these Cellulomonas genomes, in contrast to previous studies reporting differences in physiological approaches for carbohydrate degradation. Our sequencing and analysis of these genomes sheds light onto the mechanism through which these facultative anaerobes degrade cellulose, suggesting that the sequenced cellulomonads use secreted, multidomain enzymes to degrade cellulose in a way that is distinct from known anaerobic cellulolytic strategies.

Production and Properties of Xylan-Degrading Enzymes from Cellulomonas uda

Xylan degradation and production of beta-xylanase and beta-xylosidase activities were studied in cultures of Cellulomonas uda grown on purified xylan from birchwood. beta-Xylanase activity was found to be associated with the cells, although in various degrees. The formation of beta-xylanase activity was induced by xylotriose and repressed by xylose. beta-Xylosidase activity was cell bound. Both constitutive and inducible beta-xylosidase activities were suggested. beta-Xylanase and beta-xylosidase activities were inhibited competitively by xylose. beta-Xylanase activity had a pronounced optimum pH of 5.8, whereas the optimum pH of beta-xylosidase activity ranged from 5.4 to 6.1. The major products of xylan degradation by a crude preparation of beta-xylanase activity, in decreasing order of amount, were xylobiose, xylotriose, xylose, and small amounts of xylotetraose. This pattern suggests that beta-xylanase activity secreted by C. uda is of the endosplitting type. Supernatants of cultures grown on cellulose showed not only beta-glucanase but also beta-xylanase activity. The latter could be attributed to an endo-1,4-beta-glucanase activity which had a low beta-xylanase activity.

Regulation of beta-1,4-Endoglucanase Synthesis in Thermomonospora fusca

In Thermomonospora fusca YX, endocellulase synthesis varies over a 100-fold range depending on the carbon source used. This study shows that the variation is caused by two regulatory mechanisms: an induction mechanism that increases the rate of endocellulase synthesis about 20-fold and a growth rate-dependent repression mechanism that changes the rate of synthesis over a 6-fold range in both induced and noninduced cells. In T. fusca, endocellulase synthesis can be induced by cellulose, cellobiose, or cellodextrin. Cellulase is involved in inducer generation from cellulose. Growth rate-dependent repression can be reversed by limiting cultures for carbon, nitrogen, or, to a lesser extent, phosphorus. Further evidence for two separate regulatory mechanisms is provided by the isolation of mutants (CC-1 and CC-2) whose endocellulases are synthesized constitutively but are still sensitive to growth rate-dependent repression. These conclusions about total endocellulase synthesis were extended to the individual endocellulases by showing that three T. fusca endocellulases are coordinately regulated.

Study of cellulases from a newly isolated thermophilic and cellulolytic Brevibacillus sp. strain JXL

A potentially novel aerobic, thermophilic, and cellulolytic bacterium designated as Brevibacillus sp. strain JXL was isolated from swine waste. Strain JXL can utilize a broad range of carbohydrates including: cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), xylan, cellobiose, glucose, and xylose. In two different media supplemented with crystalline cellulose and CMC at 57 degrees C under aeration, strain JXL produced a basal level of cellulases as FPU of 0.02 IU/ml in the crude culture supernatant. When glucose or cellobiose was used besides cellulose, cellulase activities were enhanced ten times during the first 24 h, but with no significant difference between these two simple sugars. After that time, however, culture with glucose demonstrated higher cellulase activities compared with that from cellobiose. Similar trend and effect on cellulase activities were also obtained when glucose or cellobiose served as a single substrate. The optimal doses of cellobiose and glucose for cellulase induction were 0.5 and 1%. These inducing effects were further confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images, which indicated the presence of extracellular protuberant structures. These cellulosome-resembling structures were most abundant in culture with glucose, followed by cellobiose and without sugar addition. With respect to cellulase activity assay, crude cellulases had an optimal temperature of 50 degrees C and a broad optimal pH range of 6-8. These cellulases also had high thermotolerance as evidenced by retaining more than 50% activity at 100 degrees C after 1 h. In summary, this is the first study to show that the genus Brevibacillus may have strains that can degrade cellulose.

Cellulases of mesophilic microorganisms: cellulosome and noncellulosome producers

The cellulolytic activity of mesophilic bacteria and fungi is described, with special emphasis on the large extracellular enzyme complex called the cellulosome. The cellulosome is composed of a scaffolding protein, which is attached to various cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic enzymes, and this complex allows the organisms to degrade plant cell walls very efficently. The enzymes include a variety of cellulases, hemicellulases, and pectinases that work synergistically to degrade complex cell-wall molecules.

Regulation of cellulases and xylanases from a derepressed mutant of Cellulomonas flavigena growing on sugar-cane bagasse in continuous culture

When the wild type Cellulomonas flavigena was grown on glycerol, xylose or cellobiose, it produced basal levels of carboxymethyl-cellulase (CMCase), filter-paperase (FPase) and xylanase activities. By comparison, a catabolic derepressed mutant strain of the same organism produced markedly higher levels of these enzymes when grown on the same carbon sources. Sugar-cane bagasse induced both the wild type and the mutant strain to produce three- to eight-time higher levels of FPase and xylanase than was observed with xylose or cellobiose. Continuous culture was used to determine the minimal cellobiose or glucose concentrations that repress the enzyme synthesis in both strains. 2.5 g l(-1) glucose repressed FPase and xylanases from wild type, while 1.6 times more glucose was needed to repress the same activities in the PN-120 strain. In the same way, twofold more cellobiose was needed to reduce by 75% the CMCase and xylanase activities in the mutant compared to the wild type. The FPase in the presence of 4 g l(-1) cellobiose did not change in the same strain. Therefore, its derepressed and feedback resistant characters of PN-120 mutant are evident. On the other hand, isoelectrofocused crude extracts of mutant and wild strains induced by sugar-cane bagasse, did not show differences in protein patterns, however, the Schiffs staining was more intense in the PN-120 than in the wild strain. These results point out that the mutational treatment did not apparently change the extracellular proteins from mutant PN-120 and this could affect their regulation sites, since derepressed and feed-back resistant enzymes may be produced.

A celR mutation affecting transcription of cellulase genes in Thermobifida fusca

Biosynthesis of extracellular cellulases in the cellulose-degrading actinomycete Thermobifida fusca is controlled by a transcriptional regulator, CelR, and cellobiose, which acts as an inducer interfering with the CelR-DNA interaction. We report the identification and characterization of a mutation in the celR gene that changes Ala(55) in the hinge helix of CelR to Thr. The wild-type and mutant celR genes were cloned in Escherichia coli, and their protein products were characterized. The CelR mutant protein bound DNA more weakly than the wild-type protein and formed a less stable complex with DNA in the presence of cellobiose. The results of Western analysis and gel retardation experiments suggest that CelR is produced constitutively and its DNA-binding activity is regulated through posttranslational modification.

Growth and endoglucanase activity of Acetivibrio cellulolyticus grown in three different cellulosic substrates

The growth kinetics of Acetivibrio cellulolyticus grown in medium containing different carbon sources (cellobiose, amorphous or crystalline cellulose) was investigated. The specific growth rate was higher in cellobiose fed cultures than in the presence of the other two substrates. Endoglucanase production was greater in cultures grown on amorphous cellulose; enzyme activity increased during the stationary phase in cultures grown on crystalline cellulose.

Characterization of cellulase complex of Streptomyces albaduncus

Exoglucanase and endoglucanase (glucanases) enzymes of S. albaduncus were found to be very stable, showing only 36% and 8% loss in activities respectively after 3 days of incubation at 50 degrees C. In contrast, beta-glucosidase was significantly less stable retaining only 22.30% activity after 30 min incubation at 40 degrees C. The glucanases manifested maximum stability in pH range of 5.5-6.0 whereas beta-glucosidase was completely stable over a broad pH range of 6.5-9.0. Both glucanases were enhanced by some cations whereas beta-glucosidase did not require any cation for activity. K(m) values for crude exoglucanase, endoglucanase and beta-glucosidase were 40.00 mg/ml, 92.30 mg/ml and 1.714 mM with maximum reaction velocities (Vmax) of 0.606, 33.330 and 0.109 IU/mg of protein, respectively. The enzymes were subject to end-product inhibition, with exo- and endo-glucanases decreasing by 20% and 70% respectively, in the presence of 0.3% glucose. However, beta-glucosidase showed marked resistance to glucose inhibition, retaining 59% of residual activity even in the presence of 30% glucose in the reaction mixture. This characteristic may be advantageous in the commercial exploitation of enzyme system. An activation of beta-glucosidase at lower concentrations of glucose suggests competitive inhibition.

Purification and properties of the Clostridium thermocellum bglB gene product expressed in Escherichia coli

The Clostridium thermocellum beta-glucosidase B was purified to homogeneity in its recombinant form from Escherichia coli. The purification protocol included ion exchange, hydrophobic interaction and hydroxyapatite chromatography. The polypeptide was found to have a molecular mass of 84,000 daltons and a pI of 4.4. There was a differential effect of temperature on the aryl-beta-glucosidase and cellobiase activities of the purified protein. The cellobiase activity had an optimum of 45 degrees C, and aryl-beta-glucosidase 60 degrees C. Both activities had an optimum pH of 5.6, although the aryl-beta-glucosidase had a secondary peak at 7.0. Both activities were stimulated by divalent cations and DTT, but inhibited by thiol reagents. The enzyme was found to have a broad substrate specificity. Using cellobiose as substrate and a temperature of 45 degrees C, the Km and Vmax values were 1.6 mM and 5.5 U mg-1 respectively. The aryl-beta-glucosidase when assayed against pNP glucopyranoside and a temperature of 60 degrees C had Km and Vmax of 2.9 mM and 1.1 U mg-1 respectively. The enzyme was very stable at 45 degrees C, but rapidly inactivated at 60 degrees C.

Noncellulolytic fungal beta-glucanases: their physiology and regulation

The occurrence, regulation, and action of fungal enzymes capable of degrading noncellulosic beta-glucans, especially 1,3-beta- and 1,6-beta-glucans, are reviewed. Special consideration is given to their roles in both metabolic and morphogenetic events in the fungal cell, including cell wall extension, hyphal branching, sporulation, budding, and autolysis. Also examined are the protocols currently available for their purification, with some of the properties of purified beta-glucanases discussed in terms of their potential applications in industrial, agricultural, and medical fields.

Formation, separation and characterization of three beta-1,3-glucanases from Sclerotium glucanicum

The appearance of beta-1,3-glucanases in supernatants of Sclerotium glucanicum cultures was followed by SDS-PAGE and shown to be dependent on cultivation time. Three beta-1,3-glucanases were isolated and purified. Glucanase I and III appeared homogeneous on SDS-PAGE with molecular masses of 85 and 33.5 kDa, respectively. Enzyme I was an endo-splitting beta-1,3-glucanase. In hydrolyzing laminarin it released glucose, laminaritriose and laminaribiose as major endproducts and smaller amounts of higher oligosaccharides. Enzyme III was an exo-beta-1,3-glucanase removing glucose from laminarin and gentiobiose and glucose from scleroglucan. For laminarin as substrate the Km of enzyme I and III was 2.5 and 3.33 mg/ml, respectively. Enzyme II was only partially purified and found to be also an exo-beta-1,3-glucanase, releasing glucose as the only hydrolysis product from laminarin. It did not attack scleroglucan. Its molecular weight was determined to be 78 kDa. Optimum pH and temperature of the three enzymes were determined. The three activities were significantly inhibited by 1 mM Hg2+.

Anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic biomass and wastes. Cellulases and related enzymes

Anaerobic digestion represents one of several commercially viable processes to convert woody biomass, agricultural wastes, and municipal solid wastes to methane gas, a useful energy source. This process occurs in the absence of oxygen, and is substantially less energy intensive than aerobic biological processes designed for disposal purposes. The anaerobic conversion process is a result of the synergistic effects of various microorganisms, which serve as a consortium. The rate-limiting step of this conversion process has been identified as the hydrolysis of cellulose, the major polymeric component of most biomass and waste feedstocks. Improvements in process economics therefore rely on improving the kinetic and physicochemical characteristics of cellulose degrading enzymes. The most thoroughly studied cellulase enzymes are produced by aerobic fungi, namely Trichoderma reesei. However, the pH and temperature optima of fungal cellulases make them incompatible for use in anaerobic digestion systems, and the major populations of microorganisms involved in cellulase enzyme production under anaerobic digestion conditions are various bacterial producers. The current state of understanding of the major groups of bacterial cellulase producers is reviewed in this paper. Also addressed in this review are recently developed methods for the assessment of actual cellulase activity levels, reflective of the digester "hydrolytic potential," using a series of detergent extractive procedures.

Purification and properties of an acid endo-1,4-beta-glucanase from Bacillus sp. KSM-330

A novel acid cellulase (endo-1,4-beta-glucanase, EC 3.2.1.4) was found in a culture of Bacillus sp. KSM-330 isolated from soil. One-step chromatography on a column of CM-Bio-Gel A yielded a homogeneous enzyme, as determined by silver staining of both sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and nondenaturing gels. The enzyme had a molecular mass of 42 kDa, as determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The isoelectric point was higher than pH 10. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the enzyme was Val-Ala-Lys-Glu-Met-Lys-Pro-Phe-Pro-Gln-Gln-Val-Asn-Tyr-Ser-Gly-Ile-Leu- Lys-Pro . This enzyme had an optimum pH for activity of 5.2, being active over an extremely narrow range of pH values, from 4.2 to 6.9; below and above these pH values no activity was detectable. The optimum temperature at pH 5.2 was around 45 degrees C. The enzyme efficiently hydrolysed carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and lichenan, but more crystalline forms of cellulose, curdlan, laminarin, 4-nitrophenyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside and 4-nitrophenyl-beta-D-cellobioside were barely hydrolysed. The enzymic activity was inhibited by Hg2+ but was not affected by other inhibitors of thiol enzymes, such as 4-chloromercuribenzoate. N-ethylmaleimide and monoiodoacetate. N-Bromosuccinimide abolished the enzymic activity, and CMC protected the enzyme from inactivation by this tryptophan-specific oxidant. It is suggested that a tryptophan residue(s) is involved in the mechanism of action of the Bacillus cellulase and that the inhibition of enzymic activity by Hg2+ is ascribable to interactions with the tryptophan residue(s) rather than with thiol group(s).

Regulation and distribution of Fibrobacter succinogenes subsp. succinogenes S85 endoglucanases

The distribution of endoglucanase activities in cultures of Fibrobacter succinogenes subsp. succinogenes S85 grown on different carbon sources was examined by a variety of biochemical and immunological techniques. Total culture endoglucanase activity was primarily cell associated and was expressed constitutively, although synthesis of endoglucanase 1 (EG1) was repressed by cellobiose. Western immunoblotting showed that EG1 and EG3 were released into the culture fluid during growth, while EG2 remained largely associated with the cell. Subcellular localization showed low endoglucanase activity in the periplasmic fraction and similar, high levels in the cytoplasmic and membrane fractions. Western immunoblotting showed that EG2 was absent from the periplasmic fraction. Data from immunoelectron microscopy with either polyclonal or monoclonal antibody to EG2 revealed a high density of gold labeling at sites where there was a disruption in the regular features of the cell surface, such as in blebbing or physical tearing of the membrane. When cells were grown on cellulose, there was a high density of labeling on the cellulose but not on the cells, indicating that EG2 has limited exposure at the cell surface. On the basis of these data, export of enzymes from their intracellular locations appears to occur via three different mechanisms: a specific secretory pathway independent of cellulose, a secretory mechanism which is mediated by contact with cellulose, and a generalized blebbing process that occurs irrespective of the carbon source.

Effects of end-product inhibition of Cellulomonas uda anaerobic growth on cellobiose chemostat culture

Cellulomonas uda was grown anaerobically in a chemostat with 3.33 and 11.41 mM cellobiose in the feed medium at dilution rates varying from 0.017 to 0.29/h. Unusual results obtained were analyzed by using curves simulating the steady-state biomass. This unusual behavior could be accounted for by a classical growth model taking end-product inhibition into account. Acetate has been identified to be the major inhibitor in the experimental conditions used. Parameters calculated from experimental observations gave theoretical curves of biomass production versus dilution rate which fitted the experimental points very well.

Structure and transcription analysis of the gene encoding a cellobiase from Agrobacterium sp. strain ATCC 21400

The DNA sequence was determined for the cloned Agrobacterium sp. strain ATCC 21400 beta-glucosidase gene, abg. High-resolution nuclease S1 protection studies were used to map the abg mRNA 5' and 3' termini. A putative abg promoter was identified whose sequence shows similarities to the consensus promoter of Escherichia coli and with the nif promoter regions of Klebsiella. The abg coding sequence was 1,374 nucleotides long. The molecular weight of the enzyme, based on the predicted amino acid sequence, was 51,000. The observed Mr was 50,000 to 52,000. A region of deduced protein sequence was homologous to a region from two other beta-glucosidase sequences. This region of homology contained a putative active site by analogy with the active site of hen egg white lysozyme.

Purification and properties of a stable beta-glucosidase from an extremely thermophilic anaerobic bacterium

A beta-glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.21) was purified to homogeneity from cell-free extracts of an extremely thermophilic anaerobic bacterium. The enzyme has an Mr of 43,000 as determined by molecular-exclusion chromatography, has a pI of 4.55 and shows optimum activity at pH 6.2. The enzyme is active against a wide range of aryl beta-glycosides and beta-linked disaccharides, with beta-galactosidase activity only slightly less than beta-glucosidase activity, and significant beta-xylosidase activity. Lineweaver-Burk plots for p-nitrophenyl beta-glucoside, o-nitrophenyl beta-glucoside and cellobiose substrates are biphasic concave-downwards. Inhibition of the beta-glucosidase by substrates and glucose is negligible. Thermal inactivation follows first-order kinetics, with t1/2 (65 degrees C) 45 h, t1/2 (75 degrees C) 47 min and t1/2 (85 degrees C) 1.4 min and a deactivation energy of 380 kJ/mol at pH 6.2. At pH 7.0, which is the optimum pH for thermostability, t1/2 (75 degrees C) is 130 min. At 75 degrees C, at pH 6.2, the thermostability is enhanced about 8-fold by 10% (w/v) glycerol, about 6-fold by 0.2 M-cellobiose and about 3-fold by 5 mM-dithiothreitol and 5 mM-2-mercaptoethanol.

Endo-beta-1,4-glucanase gene of Bacillus subtilis DLG

The DNA sequence of the Bacillus subtilis DLG endo-beta-1,4-glucanase gene was determined, and the in vivo site of transcription initiation was located. Immediately upstream from the transcription start site were sequences closely resembling those recognized by B. subtilis sigma 43-RNA polymerase. Two possible ribosome-binding sites were observed downstream from the transcription start site. These were followed by a long open reading frame capable of encoding a protein of ca. 55,000 daltons. A signal sequence, typical of those present in gram-positive organisms, was observed at the amino terminus of the open reading frame. Purification of the mature exocellular beta-1,4-glucanase and subsequent amino-terminal protein sequencing defined the site of signal sequence processing to be between two alanine residues following the hydrophobic portion of the signal sequence. The probability of additional carboxy-terminal processing of the beta-1,4-glucanase precursor is discussed. S1 nuclease protection studies showed that the amount of beta-1,4-glucanase mRNA in cells increased significantly as the culture entered the stationary phase. In addition, glucose was found to dramatically stimulate the amount of beta-1,4-glucanase mRNA in vivo. Finally, the specific activities of purified B. subtilis DLG endo-beta-1,4-glucanase and Trichoderma reesei QM9414 endo-beta-1,4-glucanase (EC 3.2.1.4) were compared by using the noncrystalline cellulosic substrate trinitrophenyl-carboxymethyl cellulose.