Carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs) revisited: reduced amount of water counterbalances the need for CBMs.

ABSTRACT:

Background

A vast number of organisms are known to produce structurally diversified cellulases capable of degrading cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer on earth. The generally accepted paradigm is that the carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs) of cellulases are required for efficient saccharification of insoluble substrates. Based on sequence data, surprisingly more than 60% of the cellulases identified lack carbohydrate-binding modules or alternative protein structures linked to cellulases (dockerins). This finding poses the question about the role of the CBMs: why would most cellulases lack CBMs, if they are necessary for the efficient hydrolysis of cellulose?

Results

The advantage of CBMs, which increase the affinity of cellulases to substrates, was found to be diminish

SUBMITTER: Varnai A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3599012 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature