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Changes of supramolecular cellulose structure and accessibility induced by the processive endoglucanase Cel9B from Paenibacillus barcinonensis

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Abstract

A newly identified cellulase with a high polysaccharide degrading potential and a processive mode of action, has been evaluated on cellulose fibers. Cellulase Cel9B from Paenibacillus barcinonensis is a modular endoglucanase with the domain structure GH9-CBM3c-Fn3-CBM3b, consisting of a family nine catalytic module GH9, an auxiliary module CBM3c, a fibronectin-like module Fn3, and a functional cellulose binding module CBM3b. The whole cellulase Cel9B (E1) and two truncated forms of the enzyme that consist of the catalytic module linked to the auxiliary module, GH9-CBM3c (E2), and of the cellulose binding module of the enzyme, CBM3b (CBD), were applied to softwood dissolving pulp. The changes in the supramolecular structure and morphology of the fibres after the enzymatic treatment were evaluated by viscosimetry, X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). XRD studies provided the crystallite size, interplanar distances and crystallinity index of the samples before and after the enzymatic treatment. The treatment with cellulases E1 and E2 decreased the degree of polymerization and increased the crystallinity index of the pulp. Both E1 and E2 had a pronounced capacity for removing fuzz and improved the smoothness and surface appearance of the fibers, as shown by SEM. On the other hand, CBD proved to be less effective under the tested conditions. Moreover, the solubility of dissolving pulp in alkaline solutions has been evaluated as an indirect measure of cellulose accessibility. A notable enhancement in alkaline solubility of the samples treated with the cellulases was observed.

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Acknowledgments

This work was partially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science, grant No CTQ2010-20238-C03-02. Iulia Chiriac held a FI grant from Generalitat de Catalunya. Dr. Diana Ciolacu acknowledges the financial support of European Social Fund—“Cristofor I. Simionescu” Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme (ID POSDRU/89/1.5/S/55216), Sectoral Operational Programme Human Resources Development 2007–2013.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain

    Alina I. Chiriac & Francisco I. Javier Pastor

  2. Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Protection, “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University, Bvd. Mangeron No 71, 700050, Iasi, Romania

    Valentin I. Popa

  3. Department of Physical Chemistry of Polymers, “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487, Iasi, Romania

    Magdalena Aflori & Diana Ciolacu

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  1. Alina I. Chiriac
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  2. Francisco I. Javier Pastor
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  3. Valentin I. Popa
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  4. Magdalena Aflori
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  5. Diana Ciolacu
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Correspondence to Diana Ciolacu.

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Chiriac, A.I., Pastor, F.I.J., Popa, V.I. et al. Changes of supramolecular cellulose structure and accessibility induced by the processive endoglucanase Cel9B from Paenibacillus barcinonensis . Cellulose 21, 203–219 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-013-0118-x

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