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Methods for Discovery of Novel Cellulosomal Cellulases Using Genomics and Biochemical Tools

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Cellulases

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1796))

Abstract

Cell wall degradation by cellulases is extensively explored owing to its potential contribution to biofuel production. The cellulosome is an extracellular multienzyme complex that can degrade the plant cell wall very efficiently, and cellulosomal enzymes are therefore of great interest. The cellulosomal cellulases are defined as enzymes that contain a dockerin module, which can interact with a cohesin module contained in multiple copies in a noncatalytic protein, termed scaffoldin. The assembly of the cellulosomal cellulases into the cellulosomal complex occurs via specific protein–protein interactions. Cellulosome systems have been described initially only in several anaerobic cellulolytic bacteria. However, owing to ongoing genome sequencing and metagenomic projects, the discovery of novel cellulosome-producing bacteria and the description of their cellulosomal genes have dramatically increased in the recent years. In this chapter, methods for discovery of novel cellulosomal cellulases from a DNA sequence by bioinformatics and biochemical tools are described. Their biochemical characterization is also described, including both the enzymatic activity of the putative cellulases and their assembly into mature designer cellulosomes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomolecular Sciences, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel

    Yonit Ben-David, Lizi Bensoussan, Edward A. Bayer & Sarah Moraïs

  2. Department of Immunology, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel

    Bareket Dassa

Authors
  1. Yonit Ben-David
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  2. Bareket Dassa
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  3. Lizi Bensoussan
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  4. Edward A. Bayer
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  5. Sarah Moraïs
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sarah Moraïs .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Sustainable Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Mette Lübeck

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Ben-David, Y., Dassa, B., Bensoussan, L., Bayer, E.A., Moraïs, S. (2018). Methods for Discovery of Novel Cellulosomal Cellulases Using Genomics and Biochemical Tools. In: Lübeck, M. (eds) Cellulases. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1796. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7877-9_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7877-9_6

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-7876-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-7877-9

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