Enzymatic activities of novel mutant endoglucanases carrying sequential active sites

Novel mutant enzymes of endoglucanase II (EGII) from fungus Trichoderma viride were prepared and their hydrolysis and enzymatic polymerization activities were studied. EGII((core)2) and EGII((core)2-His), which possess sequential two active sites of EGII with a His-tag probe at the N-terminal and with His-tag probes at the N and C terminals, respectively, showed higher hydrolysis activities than EGII(core) with a single active site even in comparison on the active-site concentration basis. These mutant enzymes were applied to the enzymatic polymerization to afford artificial cellulose. The polymerization rates with using EGII((core)2) and EGII((core)2-His) were also higher than that with using EGII(core). The polymerization products were identified as highly crystalline cellulose of type II. The mutant enzymes were also effective to prepare spherulites. EGII((core)2) and EGII((core)2-His) are considered to possess higher hydrolysis and polymerization activities than EGII(core) mainly due to the suitably stabilized conformation with the sequential arrangement.     

Improvement of cellulose-degrading ability of a yeast strain displaying Trichoderma reesei endoglucanase II by recombination of cellulose-binding domains

To improve the cellulolytic activity of a yeast strain displaying endoglucanase II (EGII) from the filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei QM9414, the genes encoding the cellulose-binding domain (CBD) of EGII, cellobiohydrolase I (CBHI) and cellobiohydrolase II (CBHII) from T. reesei QM9414, were fused with the catalytic domain of EGII and expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Display of each of the recombinant EGIIs was confirmed using immunofluorescence microscopy. In the case of EGII-displaying yeast strains in which the CBD of EGII was replaced with the CBD of CBHI or CBHII, the binding affinity to Avicel and hydrolytic activity toward phosphoric acid swollen Avicel were similar to that of a yeast strain displaying wild-type EGII. On the other hand, the three yeast strains displaying EGII with two or three tandemly aligned CBDs showed binding affinity and hydrolytic activity higher than that of the yeast strain displaying wild-type EGII. This result indicates that the hydrolytic activity of yeast strains displaying recombinant EGII increases with increased binding ability to cellulose.     

Reversibility and competition in the adsorption of Trichoderma reesei cellulase components

Adsorption reversibility and competition between fractionated components of the Trichoderma reesei cellulase system were studied. Specific endoglucanase (EGI), nonspecific endoglucanases (EGII, EGIII), and cellobio-hydrolase (CBHI) were previously grouped according to their hydrolytic function. At 5 degrees C, direct evidence of exchange between adsorbed and free enzyme was obtained for each component using [(3)H] and [(14)C] radiolabeled tracers. No release of bound enzymes was detected upon dilution of the free enzyme solution. In simultaneous adsorption of enzyme pairs, CBHI was shown to predominate adsorption. Endoglucanase EGI was preferentially adsorbed over EGII and EGIII. Sequential adsorption studies have shown that interaction between enzyme components largely determines the degree of their adsorption. Evidence suggests that both common and distinct adsorption sites exist and that their occupation depends on which components are involved. Predominance in adsorption by any one of the enzyme components is decreased at 50 degrees C. Light microscopy and monitoring of sugar production during cellulose hydrolysis provided evidence that reduction in the ionic strength decreases the adsorption predominance of CBHI and enhances the synergism between the cellulase components.     

Analysis of the putative substrate binding region of hyperthermophilic endoglucanase from Pyrococcus horikoshii

A hyperthermophophilic beta-1,4 endoglucanase (family 5, cellulase) was identified in a hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus horikoshii and found to be capable of hydrolyzing crystalline cellulose at high temperatures. This hyperthermophilic enzyme has promise for applications in biomass utilization, but we have no information regarding the catalytic mechanism or structure of the enzyme. To determine its catalytic mechanism, we examined the roles of amino acids located in a loop near the speculative active site by the alanine scanning method. Ten mutants of the enzyme were constructed and expressed in Escherichia coli. The purified mutant enzymes were assayed for their hydrolytic activities on p-nitrophenyl cellobiose (pNG2), carboxylmethyl cellulose, and avicel. The results showed that His155, Arg156, and Ile162 play an important role in pNG2 binding capacity, and that H155 and I162 are important for catalysis.     

Visualization of Trichoderma reesei Cellobiohydrolase I and Endoglucanase I on Aspen Cellulose by Using Monoclonal Antibody-Colloidal Gold Conjugates

Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) specific for cellobiohydrolase I (CBH I) and endoglucanase I (EG I) were conjugated to 10- and 15-nm colloidal gold particles, respectively. The binding of CBH I and EG I was visualized by utilizing the MAb-colloidal gold probes. The visualization procedure involved immobilization of cellulose microfibrils on copper electron microscopy grids, incubation of the cellulose-coated grids with cellulase(s), binding of MAb-colloidal gold conjugates to cellulase(s), and visualization via transmission electron microscopy. CBH I was seen bound to apparent crystalline cellulose as well as apparent amorphous cellulose. EG I was seen bound extensively to apparent amorphous cellulose with minimal binding to crystalline cellulose.     

Direct and efficient production of ethanol from cellulosic material with a yeast strain displaying cellulolytic enzymes

For direct and efficient ethanol production from cellulosic materials, we constructed a novel cellulose-degrading yeast strain by genetically codisplaying two cellulolytic enzymes on the cell surface of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. By using a cell surface engineering system based on alpha-agglutinin, endoglucanase II (EGII) from the filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei QM9414 was displayed on the cell surface as a fusion protein containing an RGSHis6 (Arg-Gly-Ser-His(6)) peptide tag in the N-terminal region. EGII activity was detected in the cell pellet fraction but not in the culture supernatant. Localization of the RGSHis6-EGII-alpha-agglutinin fusion protein on the cell surface was confirmed by immunofluorescence microscopy. The yeast strain displaying EGII showed significantly elevated hydrolytic activity toward barley beta-glucan, a linear polysaccharide composed of an average of 1,200 glucose residues. In a further step, EGII and beta-glucosidase 1 from Aspergillus aculeatus No. F-50 were codisplayed on the cell surface. The resulting yeast cells could grow in synthetic medium containing beta-glucan as the sole carbon source and could directly ferment 45 g of beta-glucan per liter to produce 16.5 g of ethanol per liter within about 50 h. The yield in terms of grams of ethanol produced per gram of carbohydrate utilized was 0.48 g/g, which corresponds to 93.3% of the theoretical yield. This result indicates that efficient simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of cellulose to ethanol are carried out by a recombinant yeast cells displaying cellulolytic enzymes.     

Characterization of endoglucanase A from Clostridium cellulolyticum.

A construction was carried out to obtain a high level of expression in Escherichia coli of the gene celCCA, coding for the endoglucanase A from Clostridium cellulolyticum (EGCCA). The enzyme was purified in two forms with different molecular weights, 51,000 and 44,000. The smaller protein was probably the result of proteolysis, although great care was taken to prevent this process from occurring. Evidence was found for the loss of the conserved reiterated domains which are characteristic of C. thermocellum and C. cellulolyticum cellulases. The two forms were extensively studied, and it was demonstrated that although they had the same pH and temperature optima, they differed in their catalytic properties. The truncated protein gave the more efficient catalytic parameters on carboxymethyl cellulose and showed improved endoglucanase characteristics, whereas the intact enzyme showed truer cellulase characteristics. The possible role of clostridial reiterated domains in the hydrolytic activity toward crystalline cellulose is discussed.     

Direct and Efficient Production of Ethanol from Cellulosic Material with a Yeast Strain Displaying Cellulolytic Enzymes

For direct and efficient ethanol production from cellulosic materials, we constructed a novel cellulose-degrading yeast strain by genetically codisplaying two cellulolytic enzymes on the cell surface of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. By using a cell surface engineering system based on α-agglutinin, endoglucanase II (EGII) from the filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei QM9414 was displayed on the cell surface as a fusion protein containing an RGSHis6 (Arg-Gly-Ser-His₆) peptide tag in the N-terminal region. EGII activity was detected in the cell pellet fraction but not in the culture supernatant. Localization of the RGSHis6-EGII-α-agglutinin fusion protein on the cell surface was confirmed by immunofluorescence microscopy. The yeast strain displaying EGII showed significantly elevated hydrolytic activity toward barley β-glucan, a linear polysaccharide composed of an average of 1,200 glucose residues. In a further step, EGII and β-glucosidase 1 from Aspergillus aculeatus No. F-50 were codisplayed on the cell surface. The resulting yeast cells could grow in synthetic medium containing β-glucan as the sole carbon source and could directly ferment 45 g of β-glucan per liter to produce 16.5 g of ethanol per liter within about 50 h. The yield in terms of grams of ethanol produced per gram of carbohydrate utilized was 0.48 g/g, which corresponds to 93.3% of the theoretical yield. This result indicates that efficient simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of cellulose to ethanol are carried out by a recombinant yeast cells displaying cellulolytic enzymes.     

Enhanced production of Trichoderma reesei endoglucanases and use of the new cellulase preparations in producing the stonewashed effect on denim fabric

Trichoderma reesei strains were constructed for production of elevated amounts of endoglucanase II (EGII) with or without cellobiohydrolase I (CBHI). The endoglucanase activity produced by the EGII transformants correlated with the copy number of the egl2 expression cassette. One copy of the egl2 expression cassette in which the egl2 was under the cbh1 promoter increased production of endoglucanase activity 2.3-fold, and two copies increased production about 3-fold above that of the parent strain. When the enzyme with elevated EGII content was used, an improved stonewashing effect on denim fabric was achieved. A T. reesei strain producing high amounts of EGI and -II activities without CBHI and -II was constructed by replacing the cbh2 locus with the coding region of the egl2 gene in the EGI-overproducing CBHI-negative strain. Production of endoglucanase activity by the EG-transformant strain was increased fourfold above that of the host strain. The filter paper-degrading activity of the endoglucanase-overproducing strain was lowered to below detection, presumably because of the lack of cellobiohydrolases.     

Characterization of a family 5 glycoside hydrolase isolated from the outer membrane of cellulolytic Cytophaga hutchinsonii

Cytophaga hutchinsonii is an abundant aerobic cellulolytic bacterium that rapidly digests crystalline cellulose in a contact-dependent manner. The different roles of various predicted glycoside hydrolases and the detailed mechanism used by C. hutchinsonii in cellulose digestion are, however, not known. In this study, an endoglucanase belonging to glycoside hydrolase family 5 (GH5) named as ChCel5A was isolated from the outer membrane of C. hutchinsonii. The catalytic domain of ChCel5A exhibited typical endoglucanase activity and was capable of hydrolyzing insoluble cellulose with cellobiose and cellotriose as the predominant digestion products. Site-directed mutagenesis identified two aromatic amino acids in ChCle5A, W61 and W308, that dramatically decreased its hydrolytic activity toward filter paper while causing only a slight decrease in carboxymethylcellulase (CMCase) activity. Disruption of chu_1107 encoding ChCel5A caused no drastic effect on the growth parameters on cellulose for the resulting mutant strain with negligible reduction in the specific CMCase activities for intact cells. The demonstration of targeted gene inactivation capability for C. hutchinsonii has provided an opportunity to improve understanding of the details of the mechanism underlying its efficient utilization of cellulose.     

Characterization of a multi-function processive endoglucanase CHU_2103 from Cytophaga hutchinsonii

Cytophaga hutchinsonii is a Gram-negative gliding bacterium which can efficiently degrade crystalline cellulose by an unknown strategy. Genomic analysis suggests the C. hutchinsonii genome lacks homologs to an obvious exoglucanase that previously seemed essential for cellulose degradation. One of the putative endoglucanases, CHU_2103, was successfully expressed in Escherichia coli JM109 and identified as a processive endoglucanase with transglycosylation activity. It could hydrolyze carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) into cellodextrins and rapidly decrease the viscosity of CMC. When regenerated amorphous cellulose (RAC) was degraded by CHU_2103, the ratio of the soluble to insoluble reducing sugars was 3.72 after 3 h with cellobiose and cellotriose as the main products, indicating that CHU_2103 was a processive endoglucanase. CHU_2103 could degrade cellodextrins of degree of polymerization ≥3. It hydrolyzed p-nitrophenyl β-d-cellodextrins by cutting glucose or cellobiose from the non-reducing end. Meanwhile, some larger-molecular-weight cellodextrins could be detected, indicating it also had transglycosylation activity. Without carbohydrate-binding module (CBM), CHU_2103 could bind to crystalline cellulose and acted processively on it. Site-directed mutation of CHU_2103 demonstrated that the conserved aromatic amino acid W197 in the catalytic domain was essential not only for its processive activity, but also its cellulose binding ability.     

Polyaniline as a support for urease immobilization

Polyaniline synthesized by chemical oxidative polymerization was used as an immobilization support for jack bean urease. Such immobilized enzyme has a good catalytic activity, storage stability, and reusability. Properties of free and immobilized urease were compared. Blends of polystyrene, cellulose acetate and poly(methyl methacrylate) with polyaniline were used for urease immobilization as well.     

Purification, characterization and amino-acid sequence analysis of a thermostable, low molecular mass endo-beta-1,4-glucanase from blue mussel, Mytilus edulis.

A cellulase (endo-beta-1,4-D-glucanase, EC 3.2.1.4) from blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) was purified to homogeneity using a combination of acid precipitation, heat precipitation, immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography, size-exclusion chromatography and ion-exchange chromatography. Purity was analyzed by SDS/PAGE, IEF and RP-HPLC. The cellulase (endoglucanase) was characterized with regard to enzymatic properties, isoelectric point, molecular mass and amino-acid sequence. It is a single polypeptide chain of 181 amino acids cross-linked with six disulfide bridges. Its molecular mass, as measured by MALDI-MS, is 19 702 Da; a value of 19 710.57 Da was calculated from amino-acid composition. The isoelectric point of the enzyme was estimated by isoelectric focusing in a polyacrylamide gel to a value of 7.6. According to amino-acid composition, the theoretical pI is 7.011. The effect of temperature on the endoglucanase activity, with carboxymethyl cellulose and amorphous cellulose as substrates, respectively, was studied at pH 5.5 and displayed an unusually broad optimum activity temperature range between 30 and 50 degrees C. Another unusual feature is that the enzyme retains 55-60% of its maximum activity at 0 degrees C. The enzyme readily degrades amorphous cellulose and carboxymethyl cellulose but displays no hydrolytic activity towards crystalline cellulose (Avicel) and shows no cross-specificity for xylan; there is no binding to Avicel. The enzyme can withstand 10 min at 100 degrees C without irreversible loss of enzymatic activity. Amino-acid sequence-based classification has revealed that the enzyme belongs to the glycoside hydrolase family 45, subfamily 2 (B. Henrissat, Centre de Recherches sur les Macromolecules Végétales, CNRS, Joseph Fourier Université, Grenoble, France, personal communication).     

Processivity, substrate binding, and mechanism of cellulose hydrolysis by Thermobifida fusca Cel9A

Thermobifida fusca Cel9A-90 is a processive endoglucanase consisting of a family 9 catalytic domain (CD), a family 3c cellulose binding module (CBM3c), a fibronectin III-like domain, and a family 2 CBM. This enzyme has the highest activity of any individual T. fusca enzyme on crystalline substrates, particularly bacterial cellulose (BC). Mutations were introduced into the CD or the CBM3c of Cel9A-68 using site-directed mutagenesis. The mutant enzymes were expressed in Escherichia coli; purified; and tested for activity on four substrates, ligand binding, and processivity. The results show that H125 and Y206 play an important role in activity by forming a hydrogen bonding network with the catalytic base, D58; another important supporting residue, D55; and Glc(-1) O1. R378, a residue interacting with Glc(+1), plays an important role in processivity. Several enzymes with mutations in the subsites Glc(-2) to Glc(-4) had less than 15% activity on BC and markedly reduced processivity. Mutant enzymes with severalfold-higher activity on carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) were found in the subsites from Glc(-2) to Glc(-4). The CBM3c mutant enzymes, Y520A, R557A/E559A, and R563A, had decreased activity on BC but had wild-type or improved processivity. Mutation of D513, a conserved residue at the end of the CBM, increased activity on crystalline cellulose. Previous work showed that deletion of the CBM3c abolished crystalline activity and processivity. This study shows that it is residues in the catalytic cleft that control processivity while the CBM3c is important for loose binding of the enzyme to the crystalline cellulose substrate.     

Cloning, sequencing, and expression of a Eubacterium cellulosolvens 5 gene encoding an endoglucanase (Cel5A) with novel carbohydrate-binding modules, and properties of Cel5A

A novel Eubacterium cellulosolvens 5 gene encoding an endoglucanase (Cel5A) was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli, and its enzymatic properties were characterized. The cel5A gene consists of a 3,444-bp open reading frame and encodes a 1,148-amino-acid protein with a molecular mass of 127,047 Da. Cel5A is a modular enzyme consisting of an N-terminal signal peptide, two glycosyl hydrolase family 5 catalytic modules, two novel carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs), two linker sequences, and a C-terminal sequence with an unknown function. The amino acid sequences of the two catalytic modules and the two CBMs are 94% and 73% identical to each other, respectively. Two regions that consisted of one CBM and one catalytic module were tandemly connected via a linker sequence. The CBMs did not exhibit significant sequence similarity with any other CBMs. Analyses of the hydrolytic activity of the recombinant Cel5A (rCel5A) comprising the CBMs and the catalytic modules showed that the enzyme is an endoglucanase with activities with carboxymethyl cellulose, lichenan, acid-swollen cellulose, and oat spelt xylan. To investigate the functions of the CBMs and the catalytic modules, truncated derivatives of rCel5A were constructed and characterized. There were no differences in the hydrolytic activities with various polysaccharides or in the hydrolytic products obtained from cellooligosaccharides between the two catalytic modules. Both CBMs had the same substrate affinity with intact rCel5A. Removal of the CBMs from rCel5A reduced the catalytic activities with various polysaccharides remarkably. These observations show that CBMs play an important role in the catalytic function of the enzyme.     

Enhanced Production of Trichoderma reesei Endoglucanases and Use of the New Cellulase Preparations in Producing the Stonewashed Effect on Denim Fabric

Trichoderma reesei strains were constructed for production of elevated amounts of endoglucanase II (EGII) with or without cellobiohydrolase I (CBHI). The endoglucanase activity produced by the EGII transformants correlated with the copy number of the egl2 expression cassette. One copy of the egl2 expression cassette in which the egl2 was under the cbh1 promoter increased production of endoglucanase activity 2.3-fold, and two copies increased production about 3-fold above that of the parent strain. When the enzyme with elevated EGII content was used, an improved stonewashing effect on denim fabric was achieved. A T. reesei strain producing high amounts of EGI and -II activities without CBHI and -II was constructed by replacing the cbh2 locus with the coding region of the egl2 gene in the EGI-overproducing CBHI-negative strain. Production of endoglucanase activity by the EG-transformant strain was increased fourfold above that of the host strain. The filter paper-degrading activity of the endoglucanase-overproducing strain was lowered to below detection, presumably because of the lack of cellobiohydrolases.     

Hydrolysis of amorphous and crystalline cellulose by heterologously produced cellulases of Melanocarpus albomyces

Three thermostable neutral cellulases from Melanocarpus albomyces, a 20-kDa endoglucanase (Cel45A), a 50-kDa endoglucanase (Cel7A), and a 50-kDa cellobiohydrolase (Cel7B) heterologously produced in a recombinant Trichoderma reesei were purified and studied in hydrolysis (50 degrees C, pH 6.0) of crystalline and amorphous cellulose. To improve their efficiency, M. albomyces cellulases naturally harboring no cellulose-binding module (CBM) were genetically modified to carry the CBM of T. reesei CBHI/Cel7A, and were studied under similar experimental conditions. Hydrolysis performance and product profiles were used to evaluate hydrolytic features of the investigated enzymes. Each cellulase proved to be active against the tested substrates; the cellobiohydrolase Cel7B had greater activity than the endoglucanases Cel45A and Cel7A against crystalline cellulose, whereas in the case of amorphous substrate the order was reversed. Evidence of synergism was observed when mixtures of the novel enzymes were applied in a constant total protein dosage. Presence of the CBM improved the hydrolytic potential of each enzyme in all experimental configurations; it had a greater effect on the endoglucanases Cel45A and Cel7A than the cellobiohydrolase Cel7B, especially against crystalline substrate. The novel cellobiohydrolase performed comparably to the major cellobiohydrolase of T. reesei (CBHI/Cel7A) under the applied experimental conditions.     

Analysis of functional domains of endoglucanases from Clostridium cellulovorans by gene cloning, nucleotide sequencing and chimeric protein construction.

Summary The nucleotide sequence of engD, an endo--1,4-glucanase gene from Clostridium cellulovorans was determined (Genbank Accession No. M37434). The COON-terminal part of the gene product, EngD, contained a Thr-Thr-Pro repeated sequence followed by a region that has homology to the exoglucanase of Cellulomonas fimi. EngD and EngB, another C. cellulovorans endoglucanase, show 75% amino acid sequence homology at their NH₂-termini, in contrast to their carboxyterminal domains which show no homology. EngD had endoglucanase activity on carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), cellobiosidase activity on p-nitrophenyl-cellobioside (p-NPC), and partial hydrolytic activity on crystalline cellulose (Avicel), while EngB showed hydrolytic activity against only CMC. Chimeric proteins between EngB and EngD were constructed by exchanging the non-homologous COOH-terminal regions. Chimeric proteins that contained the NH₂-terminus of EngD retained cellobiosidase activity but chimeras with the EngB NH₂-terminus showed no cellobiosidase activity. Hydrolysis of crystalline cellulose (Avicelase activity) was observed only with the enzyme containing the EngD NH₂-terminus and EngD COOH-terminus.     

Detection and characterization of the specific and nonspecific endoglucanases of Trichoderma reesei: Evidence demonstrating endoglucanase activity by cellobiohydrolase II

The cellulase enzyme system of Trichoderma reesei RUT C-30 has been separated by DEAE ion exchange chromatography into four fractions. Their specificity towards substituted cellulose and cellooligosaccharides was revealed by analytical IEF and activity stains. Fraction EGI (26% of the total protein) exhibited mainly endoglucanase activity on carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) whereas endoglucanases EGII and EGIII (15% of the total protein) showed high activity towards CMC as well as xylan, 4-methylumbelliferyl cellobioside [MeUmb(Glc)₂] and p-nitrophenyl lactoside (pNPL). A subfraction of EGI (pI 5.9) which has been described in the literature as a cellobiohydrolase (CBHII) was isolated by preparative isoelectric focusing, and was shown to have only 3 U CMCase activity per milligram. Turbidimetric measurements and phase contrast microscopy demonstrated differences between endoglucanase and cellobiohydrolase behaviour during the hydrolysis of purified cellulose (Solka Floc BW-40). Treatment of the purified cellulose with endoglucanases resulted in fibre breakdown into small particles. This was contrasted with no morphological change to the fibres when contacted with the cellobiohydrolase. By this technique it was revealed that the EGI subfraction (pI 5.9) behaves as an endoglucanase and not as a cellobiohydrolase. Incubation of this enzyme with acid-swollen cellulose resulted in cellotriose production, as it did with other endoglucanases which exhibited CMCase activities >; 100 U mg⁻¹. Cellotriose was not present during the hydrolysis of acid-swollen cellulose with the CBHI fraction.     

Effect of cellulose physical characteristics, especially the water sorption value, on the efficiency of its hydrolysis catalyzed by free or immobilized cellulase

Cellulase, an enzymatic complex that synergically promotes the degradation of cellulose to glucose and cellobiose, free or adsorbed onto Si/SiO₂ wafers at 60 °C has been employed as catalyst in the hydrolysis of microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel), microcrystalline cellulose pre-treated with hot phosphoric acid (CP), cotton cellulose (CC) and eucalyptus cellulose (EC). The physical characteristics such as index of crystallinity (I_C), degree of polymerization (DP) and water sorption values were determined for all samples. The largest conversion rates of cellulose into the above-mentioned products using free cellulase were observed for samples with the largest water sorption values; conversion rates showed no correlation with either I_C or DP of the biopolymer. Cellulose with large water sorption value possesses large pore volumes, hence higher accessibility. The catalytic efficiency of immobilized cellulase could not be correlated with the physical characteristics of cellulose samples. The hydrolysis rates of the same cellulose samples with immobilized cellulase were lower than those by the free enzyme, due to the diffusion barrier (biopolymer chains approaching to the immobilized enzyme) and less effective contact between the enzyme active site and its substrate. Immobilized cellulase, unlike its free counterpart, can be recycled at least six times without loss of catalytic activity, leading to higher overall cellulose conversion.