Cellulase synergistic effects

Baker, J. O., Thomas, S. R., Adney, W. S., Nieves, R. A., and Himmel, M. E., The cellulase synergistic effect— Binary and ternary-systems. Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society 1994, 207, 50-AGFD. 

Table V. Synergistic Effects on Cellulase Activity Shown by Combination of Ci and Cx from Various Fungal Sources ...

Table VI. Synergistic Effects on Cellulase (Cotton-Solubilizing) Activity Shown by Some Fungal Culture Filtrates, when Supplemented with Ci from T. koningii or P. funiculosum Cellulasesa...

The synergistic effect caused by a mixture of a typical endocellulase, F-l (CMCase), and an endocellulase of lower randomness (Avicelase) is slightly smaller than that caused by a mixture of F-l and Ex-1 (an exocellulase of Avicelase type) in the hydrolysis of both CMC and Avicel. This may be explained by the postulation that this kind of synergistic effect should be caused by the cooperation between cellulase components of extremely different types of hydrolysis. Consequently, the... 

Structure and Synergistic Effect of Cellulases 11.4.3.6.1 The Cellulosome Concept... 

The possibility that BS and BI cellulase could act synergistically, as has been recorded for many components of fungal cellulolytic complexes (1,2), was tested in several assay systems by adding the enzymes separately or together at the same total activity levels (CMCase units). The assays included the hydrolysis of CMC, cellohexaose, and cellulose powder. The results (not shown here) indicated that the pea cellulases were no more or less effective when added together than when added singly, i.e., there is no indication of any interaction between the enzymes, or any preference by one for the products generated by the other. 

Exo-exo synergism refers to the effects of two exo acting enzymes acting in concert compared to their individual activities. In the T. reesei cellulase system, for example, cellobiohydrolase I and cellobiohydrolase II act synergistically. Cellobiohydrolase I attacks the reducing end of the cellulose chain while cellobiohydrolase II attacks the non-reducing end of the cellulose chain [24-27]. 

Although the benefits of cellulase are significant in juice production, pectin-ases are more important in these systems. Fruits contain high levels of pectin, and pectin is efficiently hydrolyzed by pectinases. Pectinase increases juice yields by 10% to 50%, while cellulase provides an enhancement of 5% to 15%. The effects of pectinase and cellulase together are additive and can even be synergistic. 

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