[Cellobiose as a regulator of endoglucanase activity of cellulase complexes. Mechanism of the regulation]

Abstract

Cellobiose may exert different effects on the activities of various endoglucanases. The endoglucanases of T. reesei and Rapidase are noticeably suppressed by cellobiose at concentrations above 3 mM. On the other hand, a low molecular weight endoglucanase from T. koningii is activated by cellobiose, whereas high molecular weight endoglucanases from the same source are inhibited by cellobiose. A detailed kinetic analysis of the effects showed that the low molecular weight endoglucanase is activated by a transglycosylation mechanism, in which cellobiose acts as an additional nucleophile. At saturating concentrations of cellobiose (Ks = 15 mM) the enzyme activity is increased 6-fold. Such a specific mechanism of activation manifests itself in an acceleration of random cleavage of CM-cellulose by the low molecular weight endoglucanase, which can be recorded by a viscosimetric technique. However, its action does not accelerate the production of soluble reducing sugars.