Cellulosomes - promising supramolecular machines of anaerobic cellulolytic microorganisms

Vodovnik, Maša (author), Marinšek-Logar, Romana (author)

Cellulose is the main structural component of plant cell wall and thus the most abundant carbohydrate in nature. However, extracting the energy from this abundant source is limited by its recalcitrant nature. The hydrolysis of plant cell wall requires synergystic action of different enzymes, including multiple cellulases, hemicellulases, pectinases, etc. Meanwhile aerobic celluloytic microorganisms release large quntities of synergistically acting free enzymes in their environment, most anaerobic microorganisms evolved more efficient strategies to optimize the process of plant cell wall degradation, for example production of extracellular multi-enzyme complex (cellulosomes). Cellulosomes consist of at least one core structural protein, named scaffoldin, which firmly binds numerous enzymatic subunits, and usually also plays a major role in substrate binding. Although the general structure of cellulosomes seems universal, differences in number and identity of complex components do exist among microorganisms. The article surveys the current knowledge about cellulosomes, focusing on three best investigated cellulolytic clostridia, one reresentative of ruminal bacteria and novel findings concerning anaerobic fungi. Efforts in construction of artificially engineered cellulosomal systems (designer cellulosomes) as well as their biotechnological potential are also discussed.

• Language: English
• Keywords: mikrobiologija, mikroorganizmi, biotehnologija, celuloza, razgradnja, encimski kompleksi, celulosomi
• Work type: Not categorized
• Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publisher: =Slovenian Chemical Society
• Year: 2010
• Number of pages: Str. 767-774
• Numbering: Letn. 57, št. 4
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-56325
• UDC: 579
• ISSN on article: 1318-0207
• COBISS.SI-ID: 2787464
• Publication date in RUL: 10.07.2015

VODOVNIK, Maša and MARINŠEK-LOGAR, Romana, 2010, Cellulosomes - promising supramolecular machines of anaerobic cellulolytic microorganisms. Acta chimica slovenica [online]. 2010. Vol. 57, no. 4, p. 767–774. [Accessed 11 August 2025]. Retrieved from: http://acta.chem-soc.si/57/57-4-767.pdf

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Acta chimica slovenica
• Shortened title: Acta chim. slov.
• Publisher: Slovensko kemijsko društvo, =Slovenian Chemical Society
• ISSN: 1318-0207
• COBISS.SI-ID: 14086149

Secondary language

• Language: English

Abstract

Celuloza je temeljni gradnik rastlinske celične stene in tako predstavlja najbogatejši rezervoar ogljikohidratov v naravi. Pridobivanje energije iz tega obilnega vira je omejeno z nejgovo odpornostjo proti razgradnji. Za hidrolizo celične stene je potrebno usklajeno delovanje celega spektra različnih encimov, vključujoč celulaze, himicelulaze, pektinaze, itd. Medtem, ko aerobni celulolitični mikroorganizmi slednje v velikih količinah sproščajo v okolje, so mnogi anaerobi razvili učinkovitejše sisteme razgradnje celične stene. Eden takšnih je proizvodnja ekstracelularnih multiencimskih kompleksov, imenovanih celulosomi. Ti so v splošnem sestavljeni iz najmanj ene strukturne beljakovine, imenovanje skafoldin, ki trdno veže cel spekter encimskih podenot, poleg tega pa ima običajno tudi pomembno vlogo pri pritrjanju kompleksa na substrat. Kljub temu, da je struktura celulosomov na prvi pogled univerzalna, so znane nekatere razlike med kompleksi različnih mikroorganizmov. V članku so zbrani dosedanji podatki o celulosomskih sistemih treh celulolitičnih klostridijev, predstavnika vampnih bakterij in anaerobnih gliv. Povzeti so tudi novejši dosežki genskega inženirstva v sestavljanju rekombinantnih celulosomov ter njihov biotehnološki potencial.