Properties of a Bacillus licheniformis Cellulase Produced by Recombinant Escherichia coli

Carboxymethyl celluase (cellulase) was purified from cell-free extract of the recombinant Escherichia coli carrying a Bacillus licheniformis WL-12 cellulase gene by DEAE-Sepharose and phenyl-Sepharose column chromatography with specific activity of 163 U/mg protein. The molecular mass of the purified enzyme was estimated to be approximately 49.5 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The enzyme had a pH optimum at 5.5 and a temperature optimum at $55^{\circ}C$. The activity of the enzyme was completely inhibited by SDS (5 mM), and slightly enhanced by $Cu^{2+}$ (5 mM). The cellulase was active on CMC, konjac, barely glucan and lichenan, while it did not exhibit activity towards xylan, locust bean gum, and p-nitrophenyl-$\beta$-glucopyranoside. The predominant products resulting from the cellulase hydrolysis were cellobiose and cellotriose for cellooligosaccharides including cellotriose, cellotetraose and cellopentaose. The enzyme could hydrolyze cellooligosaccharides larger than cellobiose.

대장균으로부터 생산된 Bacillus licheniformis WL-12의 Cellulase 특성

Bacillus licheniformis WL-12의 carboxymethyl cellulase (cellulase) 유전자를 함유한 대장균 균체 파쇄상등액으로부터 DEAE-Sepharose와 Q-Sepharose 컬럼 크로마토그래피를 통해 cellulase를 정제하였다. 정제된 효소의 비활성은 163 U/mg이었으며, SDS-PAGE에 의해 측정된 분자량은 약 49.5 kDa으로 나타났다. pH 5.5와 $55^{\circ}C$에서 최대 반응활성을 보였으며, SDS (5mM)에 의해서는 cellulase의 활성이 완전히 저해되었고 $Cu^{2+}$5mM)에 의해서는 약간 증진되었다. 정제된 cellulase는 CMC, konjac, barley $\beta$-glucan과 lichenan을 가수분해하였으나 xylan, locust bean gum 및 p-nitrophenyl-$\beta$-glucopyranoside를 분해하지 못하였다. Cellooligosaccharides를 정제된 WL-12 cellulase로 분해하였을 때 cellobiose와 cellotriose가 주된 최종 반응산물로 관찰되었으며 cellobiose보다는 중합도가 큰 cellotriose, cellotetrasoe와 cellopentaose는 분해하였으나 cellobiose는 분해하지 못하는 것으로 확인되었다.