THE MECHANISM OF DEGRADATION OF A CELLODEXTRIN BY MYROTHECIUM CELLULASE
- 1 May 1956
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Canadian Science Publishing in Canadian Journal of Biochemistry and Physiology
- Vol. 34 (3) , 488-494
- https://doi.org/10.1139/o56-051
Abstract
A cellodextrin with a number-average degree of polymerization (D.P.) of 24 was hydrolyzed by Myrothecium cellulase in the presence of c14-labelled cellobiose. The specific activities of cellotriose and cellotetraose isolated at various stages of the hydrolysis were less than 20% of that of cellobiose isolated at the same time. It is concluded that transfer reactions involving cellobiose contributed little to the formation of cellotriose and cellotetraose. The ratio of moles of cellotriose formed/mole of cellobiose formed was at least 0.7 and the corresponding ratio for cellotetraose at least 0.4. The number-average D.P. of the substrate decreased slightly during the hydrolysis. The results exclude a degradation of the substrate by cleavage of cellobiose units from the ends of its chains but are consistent with degradation by random cleavage.Keywords
This publication has 4 references indexed in Scilit:
- Hydrolysis of a series of β-1,4′-oligoglucosides by Myrothecium verrucaria cellulaseArchives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 1954
- Synthesis of cellulose by Acetobacter xylinum. 2. Preparation of freeze-dried cells capable of polymerizing glucose to celluloseBiochemical Journal, 1954
- Purification of Myrothecium verrucaria cellulaseArchives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 1953
- Estimation of aldehyde groups in hydrocellulose from cottonJournal of Research of the National Bureau of Standards, 1941