Fusion to an endoglucanase allows alkaline phosphatase to bind to cellulose

Abstract
Endoglucanase CenA of Cellulomonas fimi comprises an N‐terminal cellulose‐binding domain and a C‐terminal catalytic domain joined together by a sequence of 23 proline and threonine residues (the Pro‐Thr box). The domains function independently when separated by proteolysis. TnphoA has been used to generate cenA′‐′phoA fusions. CenA′‐′PhoA fusion polypeptides which contain the entire cellulose‐binding domain of CenA bind to cellulose, allowing their purification from periplasmic extracts in a single, facile step. This result has implications for purification or immobilisation of chimeric proteins on a cheap cellulose matrix.