Selection of Multienzyme Complex-Producing Bacteria Under Aerobic Cultivation

The selection of multienzyme complex-producing bacteria under aerobic condition was conducted for improving the degradation of lignocellulosic substances. The criteria for selection were cellulase and xylanase enzyme production, the presence of cellulose-binding domains and/or xylan-binding domains in enzymes to bind to insoluble substances, the adhesion of bacterial cells to insoluble substances, and the production of multiple cellulases and xylanases in a form of a high molecular weight complex. Among the six Bacillus strains, isolated from various sources and deposited in our laboratory, Paenibacillus curdlanolyticus B-6 strain was the best producer of cellulase and xylanase enzymes, which have both cellulose-binding factors (CBFs) and xylan-binding factors (XBFs). Moreover, multiple carboxymethyl cellulases (CMCases) and xylanases were produced by the strain B-6. The zymograms analysis showed at least 9 types of xylanases and 6 types of CMCases associated in a protein band of xylanase and cellulase with high molecular weight. These cells also enabled to adhere to both avicel and insoluble xylan, which were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. The results indicated that the strain B-6 produced the multienzyme complex, which may be cellulosome or xylanosome. Thus, P. curdlanolyticus B-6 was selected to study the role and interaction between the enzymes and their substrates and the cooperation of multiple enzymes to enhance the hydrolysis due to the complex structure for efficient cellulases and xylanases degradation of insoluble polysaccharides.