Cloning, expression and purification of cellobiohydrolase gene from Caldicellulosiruptor bescii for efficient saccharification of plant biomass.

Anthropogenic activities have led to a drastic shift from natural fuels to alternative renewable energy reserves that demand heat-stable cellulases. Cellobiohydrolase is an indispensable member of cellulases that play a critical role in the degradation of cellulosic biomass. This article details the process of cloning the cellobiohydrolase gene from the thermophilic bacterium Caldicellulosiruptor bescii and expressing it in Escherichia coli (BL21) CondonPlus DE3-(RIPL) using the pET-21a(+) expression vector. Multi-alignments and structural modeling studies reveal that recombinant CbCBH contained a conserved cellulose binding domain III. The enzyme's catalytic site included Asp-372 and Glu-620, which are either involved in substrate or metal binding. The purified CbCBH, with a molecular weight of 91.8 kDa, displayed peak activity against pNPC (167.93 U/mg) at 65°C and pH 6.0. Moreover, it demonstrated remarkable stability across a broad temperature range (60-80°C) for 8 h. Additionally, the Plackett-Burman experimental model was employed to assess the saccharification of pretreated sugarcane bagasse with CbCBH, aiming to evaluate the cultivation conditions. The optimized parameters, including a pH of 6.0, a temperature of 55°C, a 24-hour incubation period, a substrate concentration of 1.5% (w/v), and enzyme activity of 120 U, resulted in an observed saccharification efficiency of 28.45%. This discovery indicates that the recombinant CbCBH holds promising potential for biofuel sector.

Specific activity and utility of recombinant cellobiohydrolase II (Cel6A) produced in maize endosperm.

Cellobiohydrolase II (CBH II) is an exo-glucanase that is part of a fungal mixture of enzymes from a wood-rot fungus, Trichoderma reesei. It is therefore difficult to purify and to establish a specific activity assay. The gene for this enzyme, driven by the rice Os glutelin promoter, was transformed into High II tissue culture competent corn, and the enzyme accumulated in the endosperm of the seed. The transgenic line recovered from tissue culture was bred into male and female elite Stine inbred corn lines, stiff stalk 16083-025 (female) and Lancaster MSO411 (male), for future production in their hybrid. The enzyme increases its accumulation throughout its 6 generations of back crosses, 27-266-fold between T1 and T2, and 2-10-fold between T2 and T3 generations with lesser increases in T4-T6. The germplasm of the inbred lines replaces the tissue culture corn variety germplasm with each generation, with the ultimate goal of producing a high-yielding hybrid with the transgene. The CBH II enzyme was purified from T5 inbred male grain 10-fold to homogeneity with 47.5% recovery. The specific activity was determined to be 1.544 units per µg protein. The corn-derived CBH II works in biopolishing of cotton by removing surface fibers to improve dyeability and increasing glucose from corn flour for increasing ethanol yield from starch-based first-generation processes.

The S-S bridge mutation between the A2 and A4 loops (T416C-I432C) of Cel7A of Aspergillus fumigatus enhances catalytic activity and thermostability.

Disulfide bonds are important for maintaining the structural conformation and stability of the protein. The introduction of the disulfide bond is a promising strategy to increase the thermostability of the protein. In this report, cysteine residues are introduced to form disulfide bonds in the Glycoside Hydrolase family GH 7 cellobiohydrolase (GH7 CBHs) or Cel7A of Aspergillus fumigatus. Disulfide by Design 2.0 (DbD2), an online tool is used for the detection of the mutation sites. Mutations are created (D276C-G279C; DSB1, D322C-G327C; DSB2, T416C-I432C; DSB3, G460C-S465C; DSB4) inside and outside of the peripheral loops but, not in the catalytic region. The introduction of cysteine in the A2 and A4 loop of DSB3 mutant showed higher thermostability (70% activity at 70°C), higher substrate affinity (Km = 0.081 mM) and higher catalytic activity (Kcat = 9.75 min-1; Kcat/Km = 120.37 mM min-1) compared to wild-type AfCel7A (50% activity at 70°C; Km = 0.128 mM; Kcat = 4.833 min-1; Kcat/Km = 37.75 mM min-1). The other three mutants with high B factor showed loss of thermostability and catalytic activity. Molecular dynamic simulations revealed that the mutation T416C-I432C makes the tunnel wider (DSB3: 13.6 Å; Wt: 5.3 Å) at the product exit site, giving flexibility in the entrance region or mobility of the substrate in the exit region. It may facilitate substrate entry into the catalytic tunnel and release the product faster than the wild type, whereas in other mutants, the tunnel is not prominent (DSB4), the exit is lost (DSB1), and the ligand binding site is absent (DSB2). This is the first report of the gain of function of both thermostability and enzyme activity of cellobiohydrolase Cel7A by disulfide bond engineering in the loop.IMPORTANCEBioethanol is one of the cleanest renewable energy and alternatives to fossil fuels. Cost efficient bioethanol production can be achieved through simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation that needs active polysaccharide degrading enzymes. Cellulase enzyme complex is a crucial enzyme for second-generation bioethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass. Cellobiohydrolase (Cel7A) is an important member of this complex. In this work, we engineered (disulfide bond engineering) the Cel7A to increase its thermostability and catalytic activity which is required for its industrial application.

Engineering of glycoside hydrolase family 7 cellobiohydrolases directed by natural diversity screening.

Protein engineering and screening of processive fungal cellobiohydrolases (CBHs) remain challenging due to limited expression hosts, synergy-dependency, and recalcitrant substrates. In particular, glycoside hydrolase family 7 (GH7) CBHs are critically important for the bioeconomy and typically difficult to engineer. Here, we target the discovery of highly active natural GH7 CBHs and engineering of variants with improved activity. Using experimentally assayed activities of genome mined CBHs, we applied sequence and structural alignments to top performers to identify key point mutations linked to improved activity. From ∼1500 known GH7 sequences, an evolutionarily diverse subset of 57 GH7 CBH genes was expressed in Trichoderma reesei and screened using a multiplexed activity screening assay. Ten catalytically enhanced natural variants were identified, produced, purified, and tested for efficacy using industrially relevant conditions and substrates. Three key amino acids in CBHs with performance comparable or superior to Penicillium funiculosum Cel7A were identified and combinatorially engineered into P. funiculosum cel7a, expressed in T. reesei, and assayed on lignocellulosic biomass. The top performer generated using this combined approach of natural diversity genome mining, experimental assays, and computational modeling produced a 41% increase in conversion extent over native P. funiculosum Cel7A, a 55% increase over the current industrial standard T. reesei Cel7A, and 10% improvement over Aspergillus oryzae Cel7C, the best natural GH7 CBH previously identified in our laboratory.

The role of intracellular ß-glucosidase in cellulolytic response induction in filamentous fungus Penicillium verruculosum.

In this study, CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing was used to knockout the bgl2 gene encoding intracellular ß-glucosidase filamentous fungus Penicillium verruculosum. This resulted in a dramatic reduction of secretion of cellulolytic enzymes. The study of P. verruculosum Δbgl2 found that the transcription of the cbh1 gene, which encodes cellobiohydrolase 1, was impaired when induced by cellobiose and cellotriose. However, the transcription of the cbh1 gene remains at level of the host strain when induced by gentiobiose. This implies that gentiobiose is the true inducer of the cellulolytic response in P. verruculosum, in contrast to Neurospora crassa where cellobiose acts as an inducer.

Cloning and expression of Neurospora crassa cellobiohydrolase II in Pichia pastoris.

A major cellobiohydrolase of Neurospora crassa CBH2 was successfully expressed in Pichia pastoris. The maximum Avicelase activity in shake flask among seven transformants which selected on 4.0 g/L G418 plates was 0.61 U/mL. The optimal pH and temperature for Avicelase activity of the recombinant CBH2 were determined to be 4.8 and 60 °C, respectively. The new CBH2 maintained 63.5 % Avicelase activity in the range of pH 4.0-10.4, and 60.2 % Avicelase activity in the range of 30-90 °C. After incubation at 70-90 °C for 1 h, the Avicelase activity retained 60.5 % of its initial activity. The presence of Zn2+, Ca2+ or Cd2+ enhanced the Avicelase activity of the CBH2, of which Cd2+ at 10 mM causing the highest increase. The recombinant CBH2 was used to enhance the Avicel hydrolysis by improving the exo-exo-synergism between CBH2 and CBH1 in N.crassa cellulase. The enzymatic hydrolysis yield was increased by 38.1 % by adding recombinant CBH2 and CBH1, and the yield was increased by 215.4 % when the temperature is raised to 70 °C. This work provided a CBH2 with broader pH range and better heat resistance, which is a potential enzyme candidate in food, textile, pulp and paper industries, and other industrial fields.

First evidence of a horizontally-acquired GH-7 cellobiohydrolase from a longhorned beetle genome.

Xylophagous larvae of longhorned beetles (Coleoptera; Cerambycidae) efficiently break down polysaccharides of the plant cell wall, which make the bulk of their food, using a range of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes). In this study, we investigated the function and evolutionary history of the first identified example of insect-encoded members of glycoside hydrolase family 7 (GH7) derived from the Lamiinae Exocentrus adspersus. The genome of this beetle contained two genes encoding GH7 proteins located in tandem and flanked by transposable elements. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the GH7 sequences of E. adspersus were closely related to those of Ascomycete fungi, suggesting that they were acquired through horizontal gene transfer (HGT) from fungi. However, they were more distantly related to those encoded by genomes of Crustacea and of protist symbionts of termites and cockroaches, supporting that the same enzyme family was recruited several times independently in Metazoa during the course of their evolution. The recombinant E. adspersus GH7 was found to primarily break down cellulose polysaccharides into cellobiose, indicating that it is a cellobiohydrolase, and could also use smaller cellulose oligomers as substrates. Additionally, the cellobiohydrolase activity was boosted by the presence of calcium chloride. Our findings suggest that the combination of GH7 cellobiohydrolases with other previously characterized endo-ß-1,4-glucanases and ß-glucosidases allows longhorned beetles like E. adspersus to efficiently break down cellulose into monomeric glucose.

ß-1,4-Cellobiohydrolase is involved in full expression of phcA, contributing to the feedback loop in quorum sensing of Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum strain OE1-1.

After infecting roots of tomato plants, the gram-negative bacterium Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum strain OE1-1 activates quorum sensing (QS) to induce production of plant cell wall-degrading enzymes, such as ß-1,4-endoglucanase (Egl) and ß-1,4-cellobiohydrolase (CbhA), via the LysR family transcriptional regulator PhcA and then invades xylem vessels to exhibit virulence. The phcA-deletion mutant (ΔphcA) exhibits neither the ability to infect xylem vessels nor virulence. Compared with strain OE1-1, the egl-deletion mutant (Δegl) exhibits lower cellulose degradation activity, lower infectivity in xylem vessels, and reduced virulence. In this study, we analysed functions of CbhA other than cell wall degradation activity that are involved in the virulence of strain OE1-1. The cbhA-deletion mutant (ΔcbhA) lacked the ability to infect xylem vessels and displayed loss of virulence, similar to ΔphcA, but exhibited less reduced cellulose degradation activity compared with Δegl. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the phcA expression levels in ΔcbhA were significantly lower than in OE1-1, with significantly altered expression of more than 50% of PhcA-regulated genes. Deletion of cbhA led to a significant change in QS-dependent phenotypes, similar to the effects of phcA deletion. Complementation of ΔcbhA with native cbhA or transformation of this mutant with phcA controlled by a constitutive promoter recovered its QS-dependent phenotypes. The expression level of phcA in ΔcbhA-inoculated tomato plants was significantly lower than in strain OE1-1-inoculated plants. Our results collectively suggest that CbhA is involved in the full expression of phcA, thereby contributing to the QS feedback loop and virulence of strain OE1-1.

Molecular cloning and characterization of a novel bifunctional cellobiohydrolase/ß-xylosidase from a metagenomic library of mangrove soil.

A metagenomic library of mangrove soil samples consisting of approximately 11,000 clones was constructed, and a rare bifunctional cellobiohydrolase/ß-xylosidase Cbh2124 was identified by functional screening. Cbh2124 displayed the highest homology (56.43%) with a protein of the glycoside hydrolase 10 (GH10) family from Proteobacteria. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that Cbh2124 belongs to the GH10 family. The recombinant enzyme showed a strong cellobiohydrolase activity and a relatively high ß-xylosidase activity, and its catalytic efficiency to the cellobiose substrate was as high as 1.27 × 105 s-1·mM-1, the highest efficiency among reported cellobiohydrolases. Of particular interest, some enzymatic properties of the ß-xylosidase activity of Cbh2124 were significantly different from those of the cellobiohydrolase activity. The optimal pH and temperature of the cellobiohydrolase activity of Cbh2124 was 6.4 and 36 °C, and the activity was essentially lost after treatment at 45 °C for 1 h. The optimal pH and temperature of the ß-xylosidase activity of Cbh2124 was 8.0 and 60 °C, and the residual activity was still over 90% after treatment at 80 °C for 6 h. The molecular docking results of the ß-xylosidase activity of Cbh2124 revealed the additional presence of catalytic amino acids Ser175 and Lys420, thus increasing the number of hydrogen bonds involved in the catalytic process, which possibly let to the improved thermostability compared with that of the cellobiohydrolase activity.

Increasing extracellular cellulase activity of the recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae by engineering cell wall-related proteins for improved consolidated processing of carbon neutral lignocellulosic biomass.

Sustainable bioproduction usingcarbon neutral feedstocks, especially lignocellulosic biomass, has attracted increasing attention due to concern over climate change and carbon reduction. Consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) of lignocellulosic biomass using recombinantyeast of Saccharomyces cerevisiaeis a promising strategy forlignocellulosic biorefinery. However, the economic viability is restricted by low enzyme secretion levels.For more efficient CBP, MIG1spsc01isolated from the industrial yeast which encodes the glucose repression regulator derivative was overexpressed. Increased extracellular cellobiohydrolase (CBH) activity was observed with unexpectedly decreased cell wall integrity. Further studies revealed that disruption ofCWP2, YGP1, andUTH1,which are functionally related toMIG1spsc01, also enhanced CBH secretion. Subsequently, improved cellulase production was achieved by simultaneous disruption ofYGP1and overexpression ofSED5, which remarkably increased extracellular CBH activity of 2.2-fold over the control strain. These results provide a novel strategy to improve the CBP yeast for bioconversion of carbon neutral biomass.

Improved γ-Linolenic Acid Production from Cellulose in Mucor circinelloides via Coexpression of Cellobiohydrolase and Delta-6 Desaturase.

The present study was aimed at facilitating the production of γ-linolenic acid (GLA) from the cellulosic substrate with the engineered oleaginous fungus Mucor circinelloides WJ11. Here, the homologous recombination technology was used to overexpress the cellobiohydrolase (CBH2) derived from Trichoderma longibrachiatum and the original delta-6 fatty acid desaturase (D6) in M. circinelloides to construct genetically engineered strains capable of effectively using cellulose to enhance GLA synthesis. When cultivated in modified K&R medium supplemented with microcrystalline cellulose, the CBH2 and D6 coexpressing strains led to increases in the biomass (up to 12.8 g/L) and lipid yield (up to 3.7 g/L) of 87% and 2.4-fold, respectively, compared to that of the control strain. Notably, when CBH2 and D6 were coexpressed in M. circinelloides, the yield of GLA reached 608 mg/L, which was a dramatic increase of 3.9-fold compared to that of the control strain. This is the first report on promoting the GLA production from the cellulosic substrate via coexpression of CBH2 and delta-6 desaturase. This work provides a theoretical basis for efficient transformation from the cellulosic substrate to functional GLA by CBH2 and D6 coexpressing strains, which might play a positive role in promoting the sustainable development of biological industry.

Metagenomic mining and structure-function studies of a hyper-thermostable cellobiohydrolase from hot spring sediment.

Enzymatic breakdown is an attractive cellulose utilisation method with a low environmental load. Its high temperature operation could promote saccharification and lower contamination risk. Here we report a hyper-thermostable cellobiohydrolase (CBH), named HmCel6A and its variant HmCel6A-3SNP that were isolated metagenomically from hot spring sediments and expressed in Escherichia coli. They are classified into glycoside hydrolases family 6 (GH6). HmCel6A-3SNP had three amino acid replacements to HmCel6A (P88S/L230F/F414S) and the optimum temperature at 95 °C, while HmCel6A did it at 75 °C. Crystal structure showed conserved features among GH6, a (ß/α)8-barrel core and catalytic residues, and resembles TfCel6B, a bacterial CBH II of Thermobifida fusca, that had optimum temperature at 60 °C. From structure-function studies, we discuss unique structural features that allow the enzyme to reach its high thermostability level, such as abundance of hydrophobic and charge-charge interactions, characteristic metal bindings and disulphide bonds. Moreover, structure and surface plasmon resonance analysis with oligosaccharides suggested that the contribution of an additional tryptophan located at the tunnel entrance could aid in substrate recognition and thermostability. These results may help to design efficient enzymes and saccharification methods for cellulose working at high temperatures.

Effect of carbohydrate binding modules alterations on catalytic activity of glycoside hydrolase family 6 exoglucanase from Chaetomium thermophilum to cellulose.

Exoglucanase (CBH) is the rate limiting enzyme in the process of cellulose degradation. The carbohydrate binding module (CBM) can improve the accessibility of cellulase to substrate, thereby promoting the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulase. In this study, the influence of CBM on the properties of GH6 exoglucanase from Chaetomium thermophilum (CtCBH) is systematically explored from three perspectives: the fusion of exogenous CBM, the exogenous CBM replacement of its own CBM, and the deletion of its own CBM. The parental and reconstructed CtCBH presented the same optimum pH (6.0) and temperature (60 °C) for maximum activity. Fusion of exogenous CBM increased the binding capacity of CtCBH to Avicel by 8% and 9%, respectively, but it had no significant effect on its catalytic activity. The exogenous CBM replacement of its own CBM resulted in a 12% reduction in the binding ability of CtCBH to Avicel, and a 26% reduction in the catalytic activity of Avicel. The deletion of its own CBM significantly reduced the binding ability of CtCBH to Avicel by approximately 53%, but its catalytic activity was not obviously reduced. These observations suggest that binding ability of CBM is not necessary for the catalysis of CtCBH.

An engineered cellobiohydrolase I for sustainable degradation of lignocellulosic biomass.

This study provides computational-assisted engineering of the cellobiohydrolase I (CBH-I) from Penicillium verruculosum with simultaneous enhanced thermostability and tolerance in ionic liquids, deep eutectic solvent, and concentrated seawater without affecting its wild-type activity. Engineered triple variant CBH-I R1 (A65R-G415R-S181F) showed 2.48-fold higher thermostability in terms of relative activity at 65°C after 1 h of incubation when compared with CBH-I wild type. CBH-I R1 exhibited 1.87-fold, 1.36-fold, and 1.57-fold higher specific activities compared with CBH-I wild type in [Bmim]Cl (50 g/L), [Ch]Cl (50 g/L), and two-fold concentrated seawater, respectively. In the multicellulases mixture, CBH-I R1 showed higher hydrolytic efficiency to hydrolyze aspen wood compared with CBH-I wild type in the buffer, [Bmim]Cl (50 g/L), and two-fold concentrated seawater, respectively. Structural analysis revealed a molecular basis for the higher stability of the CBH-I structure in which A65R and G415R substitutions form salt bridges (D64 … R65, E411 … R415) and S181F forms π-π interaction (Y155 … F181), leading to stabilize surface-exposed flexible α-helixes and loop in the multidomain ß-jelly roll fold structure, respectively. In conclusion, the variant CBH-I R1 could enable efficient lignocellulosic biomass degradation as a cost-effective alternative for the sustainable production of biofuels and value-added chemicals.

Enhancing PET hydrolytic enzyme activity by fusion of the cellulose-binding domain of cellobiohydrolase I from Trichoderma reesei.

The large amounts of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) that enter and accumulate in the environment have posed a serious threat to global ecosystems and human health. A PET hydrolase from PET-assimilating bacterium Ideonella sakaiensis (IsPETase) that exhibits superior PET hydrolytic activity at mild conditions is attracting enormous attention in development of plastic biodegrading strategies. In order to enhance the PET hydrolysis capacity of IsPETase, we selected several polymer-binding domains that can adhere to a hydrophobic polymer surface and fused these to a previously engineered IsPETaseS121E/D186H/R280A (IsPETaseEHA) variant. We found that fusing a cellulose-binding domain (CBM) of cellobiohydrolase I from Trichoderma reesei onto the C-terminus of IsPETaseEHA showed a stimulatory effect on enzymatic hydrolysis of PET. Compared to the parental enzyme, IsPETaseEHA_CBM exhibited 71.5 % and 44.5 % higher hydrolytic activity at 30 ℃ and 40 ℃, respectively. The catalytic activity of IsPETaseEHA_CBM was increased by 86 % when the protein concentration was increased from 2.5 µg/mL to 20 µg/mL. These findings suggest that the fusion of polymer-binding module to IsPETase is a promising strategy to stimulate the enzymatic hydrolysis of PET.

DIVERSIFY: A Fungal Multispecies Gene Expression Platform.

Recent sequencing of numerous fungal species revealed large repertoires of putative biotechnologically relevant genes and secondary metabolite gene clusters. However, often the commercial potential of these species is impeded by difficulties to predict host physiological and metabolic compatibility with a given product, and lack of adequate genetic tools. Consequently, most heterologous production is performed in standard hosts where genetic tools and experience are in place. However, these species may not be suitable for all products. To increase chances of successful heterologous production, we have created a flexible platform, DIVERSIFY, for multispecies heterologous gene expression. This reduces the workload to construction of a single gene expression cassette, used to transform all DIVERSIFY strains in order to identify the optimal cell factory host. As proof of principle of the DIVERSIFY concept, we present the first version of our platform, DIVERSIFY 1.0, which we have successfully used for the production of three proteins and a metabolite in four different Aspergilli species, and for the identification of the best producer for each of the products. Moreover, we show that DIVERSIFY 1.0 is compatible with marker-free gene targeting induced by the CRISPR nucleases Cas9 and MAD7.

PoxCbh, a novel CENPB-type HTH domain protein, regulates cellulase and xylanase gene expression in Penicillium oxalicum.

The essential transcription factor PoxCxrA is required for cellulase and xylanase gene expression in the filamentous fungus Penicillium oxalicum that is potentially applied in biotechnological industry as a result of the existence of the integrated cellulolytic and xylolytic system. However, the regulatory mechanism of cellulase and xylanase gene expression specifically associated with PoxCxrA regulation in fungi is poorly understood. In this study, the novel regulator PoxCbh (POX06865), containing a centromere protein B-type helix-turn-helix domain, was identified through screening for the PoxCxrA regulon under Avicel induction and genetic analysis. The mutant ∆PoxCbh showed significant reduction in cellulase and xylanase production, ranging from 28.4% to 59.8%. Furthermore, PoxCbh was found to directly regulate the expression of important cellulase and xylanase genes, as well as the known regulatory genes PoxNsdD and POX02484, and its expression was directly controlled by PoxCxrA. The PoxCbh-binding DNA sequence in the promoter region of the cellobiohydrolase 1 gene cbh1 was identified. These results expand our understanding of the diverse roles of centromere protein B-like protein, the regulatory network of cellulase and xylanase gene expression, and regulatory mechanisms in fungi.

A novel bifunctional glucanase exhibiting high production of glucose and cellobiose from rumen bacterium.

Herbivores gastrointestinal microbiota is of tremendous interest for mining novel lignocellulosic enzymes for bioprocessing. We previously reported a set of potential carbohydrate-active enzymes from the metatranscriptome of the Hu sheep rumen microbiome. In this study, we isolated and heterologously expressed two novel glucanase genes, Cel5A-h38 and Cel5A-h49, finding that both recombinant enzymes showed the optimum temperatures of 50 °C. Substrate-specificity determination revealed that Cel5A-h38 was exclusively active in the presence of mixed-linked glucans, such as barley ß-glucan and Icelandic moss lichenan, whereas Cel5A-h49 (EC 3.2.1.4) exhibited a wider substrate spectrum. Surprisingly, Cel5A-h38 initially released only cellotriose from lichenan and further converted it into an equivalent amount of glucose and cellobiose, suggesting a dual-function as both endo-ß-1,3-1,4-glucanase (EC 3.2.1.73) and exo-cellobiohydrolase (EC 3.2.1.91). Additionally, we performed enzymatic hydrolysis of sheepgrass (Leymus chinensis) and rice (Orysa sativa) straw using Cel5A-h38, revealing liberation of 1.91 ± 0.30 mmol/mL and 2.03 ± 0.09 mmol/mL reducing sugars, respectively, including high concentrations of glucose and cellobiose. These results provided new insights into glucanase activity and lay a foundation for bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass.

Separation and characterization of cellulose from sugarcane tops and its saccharification by recombinant cellulolytic enzymes.

In the present study, the cellulose from sugarcane tops (SCT) was separated and characterized for its purity. Approximately, 85% (w/w) of total cellulose present in raw SCT was recovered by using alkaline method. The monosaccharide analysis of SCT cellulose by HPLC showed 91% D-glucose, 7.5% D-xylose and 1.5% D-arabinose residues. Surface morphology study of dried cellulosic fibers by FESEM exhibited the fibrous structure. The FTIR analysis of separated cellulose displayed the peaks corresponding to the peaks obtained from commercial cellulose, confirming its purity. The crystallinity index (CrI) of separated cellulose increased to 49% after delignification and xylan extraction from 36% of raw SCT. The typical TGA curve of separated SCT cellulose showed decomposition and mass reduction at 327 °C resulting in single decomposition peak in TGA analysis, confirming its purity. CHNS analysis supported the purity of separated cellulose by confirming absence of nitrogen and sulfur. The separated cellulose was hydrolyzed by recombinant endo-ß-1,4-glucanase (CtCel8A), cellobiohydrolase (CtCBH5A) from Clostridium themocellum and ß-1,4-glucosidase (HtBgl) from Hungateiclostridium thermocellum at pH 5.8, 50 °C for 24 h, resulting in the production of 188 mg/g of total reducing sugar (TRS). The separated cellulose from SCT can be utilized as an alternative substrate for commercialization and for bioethanol production.

Improved catalytic activity and stability of cellobiohydrolase (Cel6A) from the Aspergillus fumigatus by rational design.

Cheap production of glucose is the current challenge for the production of cheap bioethanol. Ideal protein engineering approaches are required for improving the efficiency of the members of the cellulase, the enzyme complex involved in the saccharification process of cellulose. An attempt was made to improve the efficiency of the cellobiohydrolase (Cel6A), the important member of the cellulase isolated from Aspergillus fumigatus (AfCel6A). Structure-based variants of AfCel6A were designed. Amino acids surrounding the catalytic site and conserved residues in the cellulose-binding domain were targeted (N449V, N168G, Y50W and W24YW32Y). I mutant 3 server was used to identify the potential variants based on the free energy values (∆∆G). In silico structural analyses and molecular dynamics simulations evaluated the potentiality of the variants for increasing thermostability and catalytic activity of Cel6A. Further enzyme studies with purified protein identified the N449V is highly thermo stable (60°C) and pH tolerant (pH 5-7). Kinetic studies with Avicel determined that substrate affinity of N449V (Km =0.90 ± 0.02) is higher than the wild type (1.17 ± 0.04) and the catalytic efficiency (Kcat/Km) of N449V is ~2-fold higher than wild type. All these results suggested that our strategy for the development of recombinant enzyme is a right approach for protein engineering.