Characterization of a new endogenous endo-β-1,4-glucanase of Formosan subterranean termite ( Coptotermes formosanus)

• Published in: Insect biochemistry and molecular biology Vol. 41; no. 4; pp. 211 - 218
• Main Authors: Zhang, Dunhua, Lax, Alan R., Bland, John M., Allen, April B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-04-2011
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; amino acid sequences; Animals; Base Sequence; Biofuel; biofuels; biotransformation; cellobiose; Cellulase; Cellulase - chemistry; Cellulase - genetics; Cellulase - metabolism; cellulose; chromosome walking; Coptotermes acinaciformis; Coptotermes formosanus; endo-1,4-beta-glucanase; Enzyme Stability; Escherichia coli; genes; Insect Proteins - chemistry; Insect Proteins - genetics; Insect Proteins - metabolism; Isoptera; Isoptera - chemistry; Isoptera - classification; Isoptera - enzymology; Isoptera - genetics; Kinetics; Molecular Sequence Data; nucleotide sequences; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; Promoter; recombinant proteins; Reticulitermes flavipes; Reticulitermes speratus; salivary glands; screening; Sequence Alignment; subterranean termites; Termite; transcriptome; wood; Termite; Promoter; Phylogenetics; Biofuel; Cellulase
• ISSN: 0965-1748; 1879-0240
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2010.12.006

The present work characterized a new endogenous cellulase (endo-β-1,4-glucanase) gene,
CfEG5, uncovered in the transcriptome of Formosan subterranean termite (
Coptotermes formosanus). The full-length gene was cloned and sequenced. It is similar to the
CfEG3a described earlier (
Zhang et al., 2009) but not likely an allelic variant. GenomeWalker™ DNA walking analysis indicated that there may be one copy of
CfEG5 and two copies of
CfEG3a in the termite genome. As with
CfEG3a, the transcript of
CfEG5 was detected predominantly in the salivary gland based on quantitative RT-PCR. Phylogenetic analysis of translated amino acid sequence showed that the CfEG5 is more related to CaEG, derived from an Australian subterranean termite (
Coptotermes acinaciformis), than CfEG3a and other cellulases from
Coptotermes formosanus,
Reticulitermes speratus, or
Reticulitermes flavipes. Recombinant CfEG5, produced in
Escherichia coli, was active against filter-paper cellulose, resulting in mostly cellobiose and cellotriose, similar to the enzymatic and biochemical properties of CfEG3a. These findings would lead to further investigation of both the evolutionary origin of eukaryotic cellulase genes and the evolutionary relationship of termite species. The cellulose-degrading enzyme is applicable for bioconversion of wood to simple sugars and production of biofuels. The recombinant cellulase should also be useful for designing and screening of inhibitors for the development of target-specific and environment-friendly bio-termicides.
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► The 5′ genomic structure and promoter of cellulase gene
CfEG5 (this study) are differentiated from
CfEG3a in
Coptotermes formosanus. ► The CfEG5 is phylogenetically more related to CaEG (
C. acinaciformis) than CfEG3a. ► The recombinant CfEG5 cellulase, functionally similar to CfEG3a, hydrolyzed filter-paper cellulose to cellobiose and cellotriose.