A processive endoglucanase with multi-substrate specificity is characterized from porcine gut microbiota

Sci Rep. 2019 Sep 20;9(1):13630. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-50050-1.

Abstract

Cellulases play important roles in the dietary fibre digestion in pigs, and have multiple industrial applications. The porcine intestinal microbiota display a unique feature in rapid cellulose digestion. Herein, we have expressed a cellulase gene, p4818Cel5_2A, which singly encoded a catalytic domain belonging to glycoside hydrolase family 5 subfamily 2, and was previously identified from a metagenomic expression library constructed from porcine gut microbiome after feeding grower pigs with a cellulose-supplemented diet. The activity of purified p4818Cel5_2A was maximal at pH 6.0 and 50 °C and displayed resistance to trypsin digestion. This enzyme exhibited activities towards a wide variety of plant polysaccharides, including cellulosic substrates of avicel and solka-Floc®, and the hemicelluloses of β-(1 → 4)/(1 → 3)-glucans, xyloglucan, glucomannan and galactomannan. Viscosity, reducing sugar distribution and hydrolysis product analyses further revealed that this enzyme was a processive endo-β-(1 → 4)-glucanase capable of hydrolyzing cellulose into cellobiose and cellotriose as the primary end products. These catalytic features of p4818Cel5_2A were further explored in the context of a three-dimensional homology model. Altogether, results of this study report a microbial processive endoglucanase identified from the porcine gut microbiome, and it may be tailored as an efficient biocatalyst candidate for potential industrial applications.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacteria / enzymology
  • Bacteria / isolation & purification*
  • Bacterial Proteins / chemistry
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Catalytic Domain
  • Cellobiose / metabolism
  • Cellulase / chemistry
  • Cellulase / genetics
  • Cellulase / metabolism*
  • Cellulose / metabolism*
  • Gastrointestinal Microbiome
  • Models, Molecular
  • Polysaccharides / metabolism*
  • Protein Conformation
  • Substrate Specificity
  • Swine
  • Trioses / metabolism

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Polysaccharides
  • Trioses
  • cellotriose
  • Cellobiose
  • hemicellulose
  • Cellulose
  • Cellulase