No abstract

The heterologous expression of glycosyl hydrolases in bioenergy crops can improve the lignocellulosic conversion process for ethanol production. We attempted to obtain high-level expression of an intact Thermotoga maritima endoglucanase, Cel5A, and CBM6-engineered Cel5A in transgenic tobacco plants for the mass production and autohydrolysis of endoglucanase. Cel5A expression was targeted to different subcellular compartments, namely, the cytosol, apoplast, and chloroplast, using the native form of the pathogenesis-related protein 1a (PR1a) and Rubisco activase (RA) transit peptides. Cel5A transgenic tobacco plants with the chloroplast transit peptide showed the highest average endoglucanase activity and protein accumulation up to 4.5% total soluble protein. Cel5A-CBM6 was targeted to the chloroplast and accumulated up to 5.2% total soluble protein. In terms of the direct conversion of plant tissue into free sugar, the Cel5A-CBM6 transgenic plant was 33% more efficient than the Cel5A transgenic plant. The protein stability of Cel5A and Cel5A-CBM6 in lyophilized leaf material is an additional advantage in the bioconversion process.

In order to make cost-effective bioethanol from dynamic lignocellulosic material, we require potentially acting and stable cellulolytic enzymes. In our investigation, the hyperthermostable endoglucanase Cel5A from Thermotoga maritima was subjected to site-directed mutagenesis and carbohydrate-binding module (CBM) engineering. For this purpose, amino acids around the active-site region were targeted. Results indicated that five single mutants showed a shift in optimal pH from 5 to 5.4. The N147E mutant displayed 10% higher activity than native Cel5A. Domain engineering was performed with fungal and bacterial CBM. In addition, CBM1 from (CBHII) Trichoderma reesei and CBM6 from Clostridium stercorarium xylanase A were fused with Cel5A. Both the CBM-engineered Cel5A showed 14-18-fold higher hydrolytic activity towards Avicel. Immuno-gold labeling assay of engineered enzymes further indicated the relativity that exists between binding ability and activity.