Enzyme-Lignin Binding Variation in Commercial Cellulase Preparations Bind Differently to Dioxane Extracted Lignins

Published

May 1, 2017

Author(s)

John M. Yarbrough, Ashutosh Mittal, Elisabeth Mansfield, Larry Taylor, Stephen R. Decker, Michael E. Himmel, Todd B. Vinzant

Abstract

Commercial fungal cellulases used in biomass-to-biofuels processes can be grouped into three general classes: native, augmented, and engineered. Colorimetric assays for general glycosyl hydrolase activities showed distinct differences in enzyme binding to lignin for each enzyme activity. Native systems demonstrated low binding of endo- and exo-cellulases, high binding of xylanase, and moderate -glucosidase binding. Engineered cellulase mixtures exhibited low binding of exo-cellulases, very strong binding of endocellulases and -glucosidase, and mixed binding of xylanase activity. The augmented cellulase had low binding of exocellulase, high binding of endocellulase and xylanase, and moderate binding of -glucosidase activities. Bound and unbound activities were correlated with general molecular weight ranges of proteins as measured by loss of proteins bands in bound fractions on SDS-PAGE gels. Lignin-bound high molecular weight bands correlated with binding of -glucosidase activity. While -glucosidases demonstrated high binding in many cases, they have been shown to remain active. Bound low molecular weight bands correlated with xylanase activity binding. Contrary to other literature, exocellulase activity did not show strong lignin binding. The variation in enzyme activity binding between the three classes of cellulases preparations indicate that it is certainly possible to alter the binding of specific glycosyl hydrolase activities. It remains unclear whether loss of endocellulase activity to lignin binding is problematic for biomass conversion.

Citation

Current Biotechnology

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

biofuels, enzyme

Citation

Yarbrough, J. , Mittal, A. , Mansfield, E. , Taylor, L. , Decker, S. , Himmel, M. and Vinzant, T. (2017), Enzyme-Lignin Binding Variation in Commercial Cellulase Preparations Bind Differently to Dioxane Extracted Lignins, Current Biotechnology (Accessed October 8, 2025)