Major characteristics of the cellulolytic system of Clostridium thermocellum coincide with those of the purified cellulosome

The properties of the cellulosome (a cellulose-binding, multiple cellulase-containing protein complex isolated from Clostridium thermocellum) have been compared with the previously reported characteristics for crude cellulase see 1,4-(1,3;1,4)-β-d-glucan 4-glucanohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.4] preparations. Similar to the crude enzyme system, true cellulolytic activity was demonstrated for the purified cellulosome on the basis of extensive solubilization of microcrystalline cellulose. The cellulolytic activity of the purified cellulosome was enhanced both by calcium ions and by thiols, and was inhibited by cellobiose (the major end product of the cellulosome-mediated cellulose degradation). In addition, at low ionic strength, cellulose-adsorbed cellulosome was detached intact from the cellulose matrix. Using controlled conditions, maximum enzymatic activity was shown to correspond to suboptimal conditions of cellulosome adsorption to cellulose. The results suggest that previous data accumulated for the crude cellulase system in C. thermocellum essentially reflect the contribution of the cellulosome.