Author
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Saha, Badal |
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Submitted to: American Chemical Society National Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/2004 Publication Date: 4/1/2004 Citation: Saha, B.C. 2004. Endoglucanase from a newly isolated strain of Mucor circinelloides [abstract]. American Chemical Society. Paper No. BIOT 233. Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: In the USA, the production of fuel alcohol from corn starch reached about 2.1 billion gallons in 2002. Emphasis is to use lignocellulosic biomass as low-cost feedstock. One constraint is the high cost and low effectiveness of commercial cellulases. A newly isolated strain of the fungus, Mucor circinelloides (NRRL 26519), produces a complete cellulase (endoglucanase, cellobiohydrolase, and ß-glucosidase) enzyme system. The extracellular endoglucanase (EG) from this fungal strain was purified to homogeneity from the culture supernatant by ethanol precipitation (75%, v/v), CM Bio-Gel A column chromatography, and Bio-Gel A-0.5m gel filtration. The purified EG (specific activity 43.33 U/mg protein) is a monomeric protein with a molecular weight of 27,000. The optimum temperature and pH for the action of the enzyme are at 55 deg C and 4.0-6.0, respectively. The purified enzyme is fully stable at pH 4.0-7.0 and temperature up to 60 deg C. It hydrolyzed carboxymethyl cellulose and insoluble cellulose substrates to soluble cellodextrins. Comparative properties of this enzyme with other fungal EGs will be presented. |
