Cellulose degradation, mechanism

Xu, G., and Goodell, B. (2001). Mechanisms of wood degradation by brown-rot fungi Chelator-mediated cellulose degradation and binding of iron by cellulose. J. Biotech. 87, 43-57. 

The oxidative power of carbanilation mixtures containing DMSO and isocyanates was concluded from cellulose degradation in these mixtures. The mechanism of cellulose degradation was proposed to be a combination of oxidation and subsequent chain cleavage at the oxidized positions according to a /3-elimination mechanism triggered by auxiliary bases [ 106]. 

Nutt, A. 2006. Hydrolytic and Oxidative Mechanisms Involved in Cellulose Degradation. Uppsala University Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the faculty of Science and Technology (Ph. D. thesis), 185,51 pages. 

One important thermal degradation mechanism of cellulose fibres (cotton, rayon, linen, etc.) is the formation of the small depolymerisation product levoglucosan (Fig. 8.7). Levoglucosan and its volatile pyrolysis products are extremely flammable materials and are the main contributors to cellulose combustion. Compounds that are able to hinder levoglucosan formation are expected to function as flame retardants for cellulose. The crosslinking and the single type of esterification of... 

Zou X, Gurnagul N. Uesaka T and Bouchard J (1994), Accelarated aging of papers of pure cellulose, mechanism of cellulose degradation and paper embritlement . Polymer Degradation and Stabilization, 43(3), 393 02. 

Cellulase Complex of Ruminococcus and a New Mechanism for Cellulose Degradation... 

An apparent protein-protein interaction has been observed in cultures of Ruminococcus that results in the formation of an enzyme complex that degrades cellulose. On the basis of these and other observations, we propose a new mechanism for cellulose degradation that involves a single cellulase complex. 

We propose a new mechanism for cellulose degradation that is based on the formation of the cellulase complex and is compatible with the results reported in the scientific literature. An affinity factor and a hydrolytic factor are necessary for the formation of a complete cellulase which can hydrolyze native cellulose to cellobiose (Figure 2). The amount of affinity factor (xA) that combines with hydrolytic factor (yH) probably is not x = y = 1. This new mechanism does not require a separate enzyme for the formation of reactive cellulose. The natural... 

Figure 2. A new mechanism for cellulose degradation proposes the combination of affinity factor and hydrolytic factor to form a complete cellulase complex which can hydrolyze native cellulose to cellobiose...

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