Changes in Molecular Size Distribution of Cellulose during Attack by White Rot and Brown Rot Fungi

The kinetics of cotton cellulose depolymerization by the brown rot fungus Postia placenta and the white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium were investigated with solid-state cultures. The degree of polymerization (DP; the average number of glucosyl residues per cellulose molecule) of cellulose removed from soil-block cultures during degradation by P. placenta was first determined viscosimetrically. Changes in molecular size distribution of cellulose attacked by either fungus were then determined by size exclusion chromatography as the tricarbanilate derivative. The first study with P. placenta revealed two phases of depolymerization: a rapid decrease to a DP of approximately 800 and then a slower decrease to a DP of approximately 250. Almost all depolymerization occurred before weight loss. Determination of the molecular size distribution of cellulose during attack by the brown rot fungus revealed single major peaks centered over progressively lower DPs. Cellulose attacked by P. chrysosporium was continuously consumed and showed a different pattern of change in molecular size distribution than cellulose attacked by P. placenta. At first, a broad peak which shifted at a slightly lower average DP appeared, but as attack progressed the peak narrowed and the average DP increased slightly. From these results, it is apparent that the mechanism of cellulose degradation differs fundamentally between brown and white rot fungi, as represented by the species studied here. We conclude that the brown rot fungus cleaved completely through the amorphous regions of the cellulose microfibrils, whereas the white rot fungus attacked the surfaces of the microfibrils, resulting in a progressive erosion.     

Non-enzymatic depolymerization of cotton cellulose by fungal mimicking metabolites

Small, low molecular weight, non-enzymatic compounds have been linked to the early stages of brown rot decay as the enzymes involved with holocellulose degradation are too large to penetrate the S3 layer of intact wood cells. We investigated the most notable of these compounds, i.e. hydrogen peroxide, iron, and oxalic acid. The former two are involved in the Fenton reaction in which they react to form hydroxyl radicals, which cause an accelerated depolymerization in cotton cellulose. We found the same reaction to be caused by both iron Fe³⁺ and Fe²⁺. A 10 mM oxalic acid solution showed significant depolymerization effect on cotton cellulose. An oxalic acid/sodium oxalate buffered pH gradient had an inhibitory effect on the reduction of cellulose polymers at increased pH values. The organic iron chelator, EDTA, was found to promote depolymerization of cellulose in combination with Fenton’s reagents, but inhibited the effect of oxalic acid in the absence of iron and hydrogen peroxide. Manganese was tested to see if metals other than iron could generate a significant impact on the degree of polymerization (DP) in cotton cellulose. Depolymerizing properties comparable to iron were seen. The results confirm that low molecular weight metabolites are capable of depolymerizing cellulose and suggest an importance of these mechanisms during incipient decay by brown rot fungi.     

Structural changes in microcrystalline cellulose in subcritical water treatment

Subcritical water is a high potential green chemical for the hydrolysis of cellulose. In this study microcrystalline cellulose was treated in subcritical water to study structural changes of the cellulose residues. The alterations in particle size and appearance were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and those in the degree of polymerization (DP) and molar mass distributions by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Further, changes in crystallinity and crystallite dimensions were quantified by wide-angle X-ray scattering and (13)C solid-state NMR. The results showed that the crystallinity remained practically unchanged throughout the treatment, whereas the size of the remaining cellulose crystallites increased. Microcrystalline cellulose underwent significant depolymerization in subcritical water. However, depolymerization leveled off at a relatively high degree of polymerization. The molar mass distributions of the residues showed a bimodal form. We infer that cellulose gets dissolved in subcritical water only after extensive depolymerization.     

Relationship between length and degree of polymerization of TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils

The influence of 2,2,6,6-tetrametylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO)-mediated oxidation of wood cellulose and the mechanical disintegration of oxidized cellulose in water on degree of polymerization determined by viscosity measurement (DP(v)) and the apparent length of the TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (TOCNs) was investigated. DP(v) values decreased from 1270 to 500-600 with increasing addition of NaClO in the TEMPO-mediated oxidation stage. The DP(v) values were further decreased by mechanical fibrillation in water. There is a linear relationship between the average fibril length and DP(v); the lengths of TOCNs can be approximated from DP(v) using 0.5 M copper ethylenediamine as a solvent of both the cellulose and oxidized celluloses in TOCNs. Based on the cellulose fibril models and TEMPO oxidation mechanism, the depolymerization behavior of TOCNs is tentatively explained in terms of distribution of disordered regions in wood cellulose fibrils and formation of C6-aldehydes in cellulose fibrils during TEMPO-mediated oxidation.     

Enzymatic degradation of carboxymethyl cellulose hydrolyzed by the endoglucanases Cel5A, Cel7B, and Cel45A from Humicola insolens and Cel7B, Cel12A and Cel45Acore from Trichoderma reesei.

Enzymatic hydrolysis of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) has been studied with purified endoglucanases Hi Cel5A (EG II), Hi Cel7B (EG I), and Hi Cel45A (EG V) from Humicola insolens, and Tr Cel7B (EG I), Tr Cel12A (EG III), and Tr Cel45Acore (EG V) from Trichoderma reesei. The CMC, with a degree of substitution (DS) of 0.7, was hydrolyzed with a single enzyme until no further hydrolysis was observed. The hydrolysates were analyzed for production of substituted and non-substituted oligosaccharides with size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Production of reducing ends and of nonsubstituted oligosaccharides was determined as well. The two most effective endoglucanases for CMC hydrolysis were Hi Cel5A and Tr Cel7B. These enzymes degraded CMC to lower molar mass fragments compared with the other endoglucanases. The products had the highest DS determined by MALDI-TOF-MS. Thus, Hi Cel5A and Tr Cel7B were less inhibited by the substituents than the other endoglucanases. The endoglucanase with clearly the lowest activity on CMC was Tr Cel45Acore. It produced less than half of the amount of reducing ends compared to Tr Cel7B; furthermore, the products had significantly lower DS. By MALDI-TOF-MS, oligosaccharides with different degree of polymerization (DP) and with different number of substituents could be separated and identified. The average oligosaccharide DS as function of DP could be measured for each enzyme after hydrolysis. The combination of techniques for analysis of product formation gave information on average length of unsubstituted blocks of CMC.     

The Cellulases Endoglucanase I and Cellobiohydrolase II of Trichoderma reesei Act Synergistically To Solubilize Native Cotton Cellulose but Not To Decrease Its Molecular Size

Degradation of cotton cellulose by Trichoderma reesei endoglucanase I (EGI) and cellobiohydrolase II (CBHII) was investigated by analyzing the insoluble cellulose fragments remaining after enzymatic hydrolysis. Changes in the molecular-size distribution of cellulose after attack by EGI, alone and in combination with CBHII, were determined by size exclusion chromatography of the tricarbanilate derivatives. Cotton cellulose incubated with EGI exhibited a single major peak, which with time shifted to progressively lower degrees of polymerization (DP; number of glucosyl residues per cellulose chain). In the later stages of degradation (8 days), this peak was eventually centered over a DP of 200 to 300 and was accompanied by a second peak (DP, (apprx=)15); a final weight loss of 34% was observed. Although CBHII solubilized approximately 40% of bacterial microcrystalline cellulose, the cellobiohydrolase did not depolymerize or significantly hydrolyze native cotton cellulose. Furthermore, molecular-size distributions of cellulose incubated with EGI together with CBHII did not differ from those attacked solely by EGI. However, a synergistic effect was observed in the reducing-sugar production by the cellulase mixture. From these results we conclude that EGI of T. reesei degrades cotton cellulose by selectively cleaving through the microfibrils at the amorphous sites, whereas CBHII releases soluble sugars from the EGI-degraded cotton cellulose and from the more crystalline bacterial microcrystalline cellulose.     

持续性内切纤维素酶高效催化的研究进展

持续性内切纤维素酶(Processive endoglucanase)是一类新发现的双功能纤维素水解酶,既符合内切酶的作用特征,又具有外切酶的持续催化能力,可高效降解纤维素生成小分子寡糖。这类酶通常具有模块化结构,碳水化合物结合模块(CBM)对酶的持续催化活性及底物结合能力表现出不同的影响。综述了该领域相关研究的最新进展,分析了持续性内切酶潜在的研究方向及工业化应用的前景。     

Comparison of fluorescent labels for oligosaccharides and introduction of a new postlabeling purification method

Labeling of oligosaccharides with fluorescent dyes is the prerequisite for their sensitive analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In this work, we present a fast new postlabeling cleanup procedure that requires no device other than the reaction vial itself. The procedure can be applied to essentially all labeling reagents. We also compare the performance of 15 different labels for N-glycan analysis in various analytical procedures. We took special care to prevent obscuring influences from incomplete derivatization and signal quenching by impurities. Procainamide emerged as more sensitive than anthranilic acid for normal-phase HPLC, but its chromatographic performance was not convincing. 2-Aminopyridine was the label with the lowest retention on reversed-phase and graphitic carbon columns and, thus, appears to be most suitable for glycan fractionation by multidimensional HPLC. Most glycan derivatives performed better than native sugars in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) and electrospray ionization-MS (ESI-MS), but the gain was small and hardly sufficient to compensate for sample loss during preparation.     

An Endoglucanase, EglA, from the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus Hydrolyzes β-1,4 Bonds in Mixed-Linkage (1→3),(1→4)-β-d-Glucans and Cellulose

The eglA gene, encoding a thermostable endoglucanase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus, was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The nucleotide sequence of the gene predicts a 319-amino-acid protein with a calculated molecular mass of 35.9 kDa. The endoglucanase has a 19-amino-acid signal peptide but not cellulose-binding domain. The P. furiosus endoglucanase has significant amino acid sequence similarities, including the conserved catalytic nucleophile and proton donor, with endoglucanases from glucosyl hydrolase family 12. The purified recombinant enzyme hydrolyzed β-1,4 but not β-1,3 glucosidic linkages and had the highest specific activity on cellopentaose (degree of polymerization [DP] = 5) and cellohexaose (DP = 6) oligosaccharides. To a lesser extent, EglA also hydrolyzed shorter cellodextrins (DP < 5) as well as the amorphous portions of polysaccharides which contain only β-1,4 bonds such as carboxymethyl cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, Whatman paper, and cotton linter. The highest specific activity toward polysaccharides occurred with mixed-linkage β-glucans such as barley β-glucan and lichenan. Kinetics studies with cellooliogsaccharides and p-nitrophenyl-cellooligosaccharides indicated that the enzyme had three glucose binding subsites (−I, −II, and −III) for the nonreducing end and two glucose binding subsites (+I and +II) for the reducing end from the scissile glycosidic linkage. The enzyme had temperature and pH optima of 100°C and 6.0, respectively; a half-life of 40 h at 95°C; and a denaturing temperature of 112°C as determined by differential scanning calorimetry. The discovery of a thermostable enzyme with this substrate specificity has implications for both the evolution of enzymes involved in polysaccharide hydrolysis and the occurrence of growth substrates in hydrothermal vent environments.     

Labelling saccharides with phenylhydrazine for electrospray and matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization mass spectrometry

A well-known reaction of carbonyl compounds with phenylhydrazine has been applied to saccharides, providing increased sensitivity for mass spectrometric (MS) and ultraviolet (UV) detection during high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) separations. After a simple derivatization procedure for 1 h at 70 degrees C and purification of the reaction mixture from excess reagent by extraction, the sugar derivatives were characterized by direct injection or on-line HPLC/electrospray ionization (ESI) and by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) MS. Because no salts are used or produced upon reaction, this procedure is very simple and suitable for the tagging of saccharides. The reaction allows for on-target derivatization and products are very stable. The derivatization procedure has been applied to commercially-obtained small saccharides and standard N-linked oligosaccharides. Lastly, hen ovalbumin N-glycans were detached enzymatically and characterized by MALDI-MS as their phenylhydrazone derivatives.     

Synthesis of highly ordered cellulose II in vitro using cellodextrin phosphorylase

Synthesis of cellulose in vitro is expected to afford tailor-made cellulosic materials with highly homogeneous structure compared to natural cellulosic materials. Here we report the enzymatic synthesis of cellulose II with high crystallinity from glucose and α-glucose 1-phosphate (αG1P) by cellodextrin phosphorylase (CDP). Although glucose had been believed not to act as a glucosyl acceptor of CDP, a significant amount of insoluble cellulose was precipitated without accumulation of soluble cello oligosaccharides when glucose was mixed with αG1P and CDP. This phenomenon can be explained in terms of the large difference in acceptor reactivity between glucose and cello oligosaccharides. ¹H NMR spectrometric analysis revealed that this insoluble cellulose had an average degree of polymerization (DP) of nine. TEM observation, together with electron and X-ray diffraction studies, indicated that the insoluble cellulose formed platelet-shaped single lamellar crystals of cellulose II, several μm in length and several hundred nm in width; this is large compared to reported cellulose crystals. The thickness of the lamellar crystal is 4.5 nm, which is equivalent to a chain length of a cello oligosaccharide with DP nine and is consistent with the ¹H NMR spectroscopic results. These results suggest that cello oligosaccharides having an average DP of nine are synthesized in vitro by CDP when glucose is used as an acceptor, and the product forms highly crystalline cellulose II when it precipitates.     

Characterization of water-soluble hemicelluloses from spruce and aspen employing SEC/MALDI mass spectroscopy

Partly depolymerized hemicelluloses isolated from wood chips of spruce and aspen employing microwave treatment were resolved using size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) into oligo- and polysaccharide fractions containing components with a narrow range of sizes, as determined by MALDI mass spectroscopy. The degree of substitution with acetyl moieties (DS) was also calculated on the basis of the MALDI-MS spectra obtained prior to and following deacetylation. For spruce hemicelluloses, the low molecular mass fraction contained small arabino-4-O-methylglucuronoxylan oligosaccharides, with DP values ranging from 4 to approximately 20, separated primarily on the basis of their charge density. The fraction eluted last consisted of an O-acetyl-(galacto)glucomannan polysaccharide of peak-average DP value (DP(p)) 14. The degree of substitution with acetyl groups (DS) decreased with decreasing DP, a value DS of 0.39 being obtained for the fraction with DP(p) 12. For the aspen hemicelluloses, the SEC fractions eluted first contained an acidic O-acetyl-4-O-methylglucuronoxylan polysaccharide with DP ranging from 10 to approximately 28 and an average DS of approximately 0.75. The fractions eluted last consisted of oligosaccharide mixtures composed primarily of small neutral O-acetyl-xylooligosaccharides (DP(p) 6, DS 0.41), together with minor quantities of an O-acetyl-glucomannan.     

Synergistic saccharification, and direct fermentation to ethanol, of amorphous cellulose by use of an engineered yeast strain codisplaying three types of cellulolytic enzyme

A whole-cell biocatalyst with the ability to induce synergistic and sequential cellulose-degradation reaction was constructed through codisplay of three types of cellulolytic enzyme on the cell surface of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. When a cell surface display system based on alpha-agglutinin was used, Trichoderma reesei endoglucanase II and cellobiohydrolase II and Aspergillus aculeatus beta-glucosidase 1 were simultaneously codisplayed as individual fusion proteins with the C-terminal-half region of alpha-agglutinin. Codisplay of the three enzymes on the cell surface was confirmed by observation of immunofluorescence-labeled cells with a fluorescence microscope. A yeast strain codisplaying endoglucanase II and cellobiohydrolase II showed significantly higher hydrolytic activity with amorphous cellulose (phosphoric acid-swollen cellulose) than one displaying only endoglucanase II, and its main product was cellobiose; codisplay of beta-glucosidase 1, endoglucanase II, and cellobiohydrolase II enabled the yeast strain to directly produce ethanol from the amorphous cellulose (which a yeast strain codisplaying beta-glucosidase 1 and endoglucanase II could not), with a yield of approximately 3 g per liter from 10 g per liter within 40 h. The yield (in grams of ethanol produced per gram of carbohydrate consumed) was 0.45 g/g, which corresponds to 88.5% of the theoretical yield. This indicates that simultaneous and synergistic saccharification and fermentation of amorphous cellulose to ethanol can be efficiently accomplished using a yeast strain codisplaying the three cellulolytic enzymes.     

Mechanism of cellulase reaction on pure cellulosic substrates

Cellulase reaction mechanism was investigated with the use of following pure cellulosic substrates: Microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel), α‐cellulose (Sigma), filter paper, cotton, and non‐crystalline cellulose (NCC). NCC is amorphous cellulose prepared in our laboratory by treatment with concentrated sulfuric acid. When hydrolyzed with cellulase, NCC produces significant amount of cello‐oligosaccharides (COS) as reaction intermediates along with glucose and cellobiose. The COS produced by cellulase were categorized into two different moieties based upon their degree of polymerization (DP): low DP (less than 7) COS (LD‐COS) and high DP COS (HD‐COS). Endo‐glucanase (Endo‐G) reacts rapidly on the NCC reducing its DP to 30–60, after which the Endo‐G reaction with NCC ceases. HD‐COS is produced from NCC by the action of Endo‐G, whereas LD‐COS is produced by exo‐glucanase (Exo‐G). β‐Glucosidase (β‐G) hydrolyzes LD‐COS to produce cellobiose, but it does not hydrolyze HD‐COS. DP of NCC affects the action of Exo‐G in such a way that the overall yield is high for high DP NCC. This is in line with previous findings that substrate‐recognition by Exo‐G requires binding on β‐glucan chain with DP of 10 for the hydrolysis to take place. The individual cellulose chain residues within solid having DP less than 10 therefore remain unreacted. The percentage of the unreacted portion would be lower for high DP NCC, which results high overall conversion. The surface area and the number of reactive sites on the substrate facilitate adsorption of enzyme therefore the initial rate of the hydrolysis. The overall extent of conversion of cellulose, however, is controlled primarily by its inherent characteristics such as DP and crystallinity. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009;102: 1570–1581. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Substrate recognition by glycoside hydrolase family 74 xyloglucanase from the basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium

The basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium produces xyloglucanase Xgh74B, which has the glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 74 catalytic domain and family 1 carbohydrate-binding module, in cellulose-grown culture. The recombinant enzyme, which was heterologously expressed in the yeast Pichia pastoris, had high hydrolytic activity toward xyloglucan from tamarind seed (TXG), whereas other beta-1,4-glucans examined were poor substrates for the enzyme. The existence of the carbohydrate-binding module significantly affects adsorption of the enzyme on crystalline cellulose, but has no effect on the hydrolysis of xyloglucan, indicating that the domain may contribute to the localization of the enzyme. HPLC and MALDI-TOF MS analyses of the hydrolytic products of TXG clearly indicated that Xgh74B hydrolyzes the glycosidic bonds of unbranched glucose residues, like other GH family 74 xyloglucanases. However, viscometric analysis suggested that Xgh74B hydrolyzes TXG in a different manner from other known GH family 74 xyloglucanases. Gel permeation chromatography showed that Xgh74B initially produced oligosaccharides of degree of polymerization (DP) 16-18, and these oligosaccharides were then slowly hydrolyzed to final products of DP 7-9. In addition, the ratio of oligosaccharides of DP 7-9 versus those of DP 16-18 was dependent upon the pH of the reaction mixture, indicating that the affinity of Xgh74B for the oligosaccharides of DP 16-18 is affected by the ionic environment at the active site.     

The properties of enzyme-hydrolyzed cellulose in aqueous sodium hydroxide

Pure natural cellulose (softwood pulp) modified with cellulase is allowed to react with sodium hydroxide in a muller, and changes in structure and properties are investigated by FTIR and DSC. The reactivity of cellulose for some dissolving and derivatization processes is shown to be improved by an enzymatic hydrolysis and admixture with sodium hydroxide. The modified cellulose dissolved at 9% (wt) sodium hydroxide at -10 degrees C at 6% pulp consistency, while the DP of cellulose is >350.     

Cellulose depolymerization to glucose and other water soluble polysaccharides by shear deformation and high pressure treatment

The simultaneous action of shear deformation and high pressure (SDHP) creates changes in the structure of wood and its main components (cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignin). The formation of water and alkali soluble polysaccharides under SDHP action, proceeds in seconds in the solid state, without the use of any reagents and solvents. Therefore, SDHP seems to be a technologically safe method and friendly to the environment. The amorphization of cellulose crystallites and depolymerization of cellulose chains were observed under a wide range of pressures (1–6 GPa), both for cellulose samples and the cellulose part of wood. Similar depolymerization occurs in the hemicellulose part of wood. The decomposition of polysaccharides under SDHP causes the formation of the water soluble part, whose content increases with pressure and the applied shear deformation. A maximum solubility of 40% and 55% was registered at 6 GPa following treatment of cellulose and birch wood samples. A higher output in the case of wood can be explained by a specific role of lignin under SDHP, which acts as a ‘grinding stone’ during cellulose and hemicelluloses destruction. As shown by high-performance size exclusion chromatography, the water soluble fraction obtained from cellulose contained glucose (2.6%), cellobiose (9.6%), cellotriose (16.6%) and other higher water soluble oligomers (71%). Almost complete dissolution (98%) of the treated cellulose sample can be achieved by extraction with 10% NaOH solution. The SDHP treated birch wood was subjected to submerged fermentation (with Trichoderma viride), and a 13% output of proteins was obtained. In this case, the water soluble part played the role of the so called ‘start sugars’. Abbreviations: ASF, alkali soluble fraction; DP, degree of polymerization; EC, energy consumption; HP, high pressure; LMWS, low molecular weight sugars; MC, moisture content; MCC, microcrystalline cellulose; SD, shear deformation, SDHP, shear deformation under high pressure; SS, shear strength; WSF, water soluble fraction This revised version was published online in November 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effects of cellulase on the modification of cellulose

Multicomponent cellulases, purified endoglucanases and cellobiohydrolases were assayed and shown to modify pure natural cellulose (softwood pulp). Changes in structure and properties of the cellulose caused by enzymatic treatment depend on the composition, the type of enzyme, and the treatment conditions. The reactivity of cellulose for some dissolving and derivatization processes may be improved by enzymatic hydrolysis. Endoglucanases decreased the average degrees of polymerization (DP) and improved the alkaline solubility of cellulose most efficiently. The variation in the supramolecular structure estimated from the infrared spectra of the cellulose samples was found to be correlated with the reactivity and might represent wide variations in conformation caused by the breakdown of the hydrogen bonds.     

Offline coupling of low-pressure anion-exchange chromatography with MALDI-MS to determine the elution order of human milk oligosaccharides

Pooled human milk oligosaccharides were separated into neutral and several acidic oligosaccharide fractions by preparative anion-exchange chromatography (AEC) using AG 1-X2. The oligosaccharides were eluted stepwise using deionized water and three different concentrations of ammonium acetate buffer, pH 6.8. The elution order of the compounds was determined directly by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) analysis of the AEC effluent without any cleanup or concentration steps. Up to a concentration of 500 mM ammonium acetate, the masses of acidic oligosaccharides could be detected by screening the fractions in an automated mode. The combination of the improved chromatographic procedure, the applied MALDI matrices, and operating parameters is suitable for the detection of neutral oligosaccharides as well as acidic oligosaccharides. The method provides high sensitivity and mass accuracy, including for the high-molecular-weight monosialylated oligosaccharides up to 2751.5 Da. The applied ionic strength of the anion-exchange eluents enables a rapid and an unambiguous composition assignment by MALDI-MS for neutral, monosialylated, and disialylated oligosaccharides from human milk. The acidic fractions have to be desalted by electrodialysis and were finally analyzed by HPAEC-PAD to get a high-resolution "fingerprint" of structures present in each fraction. From these analyses, it can be concluded that the isomeric variety of monosialylated oligosaccharides occurring in human milk is higher than estimated before.     

Desorption of cellulases from cotton powder

Cotton fabrics were treated with three different Trichoderma reesei cellulase preparations (total crude – TC, endoglucanase enriched – EG-rich, cellobiohydrolase enriched – CBH-rich) using mechanical agitation to produce cotton powder. Desorption of cellulase enzymes from the cotton powder was then performed by washing with buffer. After 3 washings most of the protein was desorbed from the cotton powder and the amount of sugars released in the latter washings was negligible. TC and CBH-rich preparations produced a finer cellulose powder than EGs. The desorption process caused a decrease in degree of polymerisation (DP) specially for the cotton treated with EGs and a marked increase in polydispersity (P _d) for all preparations.