Expression and Characterization of Full-LengthAmpullaria crosseanEndoglucanase EG65s and Their Two Functional Modules

Three endoglucanase cDNAs, eg65a, eg65b, and eg65c, were cloned from the mollusk Ampullaria crossean in previous work. To characterize the full-length enzymes as well as their individual functional modules via heterologous expression analysis, the three full-length putative endoglucanases (rEG65a, rEG65b, and rEG65c) and the corresponding catalytic modules (EG65a-CM, EG65b-CM, and EG65c-CM) were expressed in Pichia pastoris GS115, and the three corresponding carbohydrate-binding modules (EG65a-CBM, EG65b-CBM, and EG65c-CBM) were expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). The properties of recombinant rEG65b, EG65a-CM, EG65b-CM, and EG65c-CM were characterized. Binding assays of CBMs with insoluble polysaccharides indicated that both EG65b-CBM and EG65c-CBM bound to phosphoric-acid swollen cellulose (PASC), Avicel, and oat-spelt xylan, while EG65a-CBM did not. The relative equilibrium constants (K(r)) of EG65b-CBM and EG65c-CBM were determined by absorption isotherm measurements. In this study, the CBMs of animal cellulases were expressed and characterized for the first time.