Characterization of the subunits in an apparently homogeneous subpopulation of Clostridium thermocellum cellulosomes

Bassam R.S. Ali, Marek P.M. Romaniec, Geoffrey P. Hazlewood, Robert B. Freedman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

34 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Clostridium thermocellum cellulosomes isolated by cellulose affinity chromatography were fractionated by anion exchange chromatography into apparently homogeneous subpopulations that differed with respect to enzyme activity and subunit composition. One such subpopulation contained predominantly six subunits and was closely similar to the "subcellulosome" described by Kobayashi et al. (Kobayashi, T., Romaniec, M. P. M., Fauth, U., and Demain, A. L., Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 1990, 56, 3040-3046). Avicelase specific activity of this homogeneous subpopulation was slightly higher than that of unfractionated cellulosomes, but the two preparations were similarly affected by Ca2+, dithiothreitol, and cellobiose. Determination of their N-terminal sequences and enzyme activities has enabled three of the six major subunits of the subpopulation of cellulosomes to be positively identified as known components of the C. thermocellum cellulase complex; the other three subunits did not match up with previously characterized cellulosomal proteins.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)705-711
Number of pages7
JournalEnzyme and Microbial Technology
Volume17
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 1995
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Clostridium thermocellum
  • cellulose hydrolysis
  • cellulosomes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biotechnology
  • Bioengineering
  • Biochemistry
  • Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology

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