Cellulose degradation byClostridium thermocellum: From manure to molecular biology

Abstract
Clostridium thermocellum, a Gram-positive, thermophilic anaerobe produces a highly active cellulase system. This system, termed the cellulosome, is a complex composed of at least 14–18 different types of components organized around a large, cellulose-binding protein. Combining recombinant DNA technology and protein biochemistry has proved to be a successful approach in unravelling some important features of the system.