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Wood Hydrolysis by Cellulomonas Fimi Endoglucanase and Exogiucanase Coexpressed as Secreted Enzymes in Saccharomyces Cerevisiae

Bio/Technology volume 6, pages 713–719 (1988)Cite this article

Abstract

The enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose to glucose requires endo-β-1,4-glucanase, exo-β-1,4-glucanase and β-glucosidase. To engineer cellulolytic properties into the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae we have constructed a plasmid containing two Cellulomonat fimi cellulase genes, cenA encoding an endoglucanase and cex encoding an exoglucanase, in tandem expression cartridges. S. cerevisiae cells transformed with this plasmid produce both endoglucanase and exoglucanase as extracellular enzymes. The secreted cellulase mixture hydrolyses filter paper and pretreated aspen wood chips in reactions that are stimulated by β-glucosidase. This is the first example of the use of recombinant DNA technology to engineer co-expression of cellulases useful in wood hydrolysis and opens the way for the development of yeast strains useful for the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of cellulosic materials.

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Author notes

  1. R. S. Parekh, S. R. Parekh and M. Wayman: Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A4.

  2. D. G. Kilburn: Department of Microbiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1W5.

  3. W. K. R. Wong: Corresponding author.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biochemicals Division, Allelix Inc., Mississauga, Ontario, L4V 1P1

    W. K. R. Wong, C. Curry, R. W. Davies & N. Skipper

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  1. W. K. R. Wong
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Wong, W., Curry, C., Parekh, R. et al. Wood Hydrolysis by Cellulomonas Fimi Endoglucanase and Exogiucanase Coexpressed as Secreted Enzymes in Saccharomyces Cerevisiae. Nat Biotechnol 6, 713–719 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0688-713

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0688-713

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