Work

Characterization of cellulase from the rumen metagenome and evaluation of its hydrolytic potential for agricultural wastes

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The cellulase RuCel224, derived from the rumen metagenome, was successfully expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3), with a molecular weight of ~43 kDa, as confirmed by sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis. Substrate specificity assays revealed the highest activity against sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC-Na) (0.861 ± 0.011 U/mg), followed by wheat straw xylan (0.150 ± 0.050 U/mg). RuCel224 exhibited optimal activity at pH 5.0 and 35 °C, retaining over 70% activity between pH 5.0 and 7.0 and 80% activity within the temperature range of 20 to 40 °C. Thermal stability tests showed that RuCel224 retained 80% activity after 30 min at 50 °C. Metal ion analysis demonstrated that Mn²⁺ significantly enhanced RuCel224 activity by 68.5% and 83.1% at 1 mM and 5 mM concentrations, respectively. Hydrolysis efficiency on lignocellulosic substrates revealed the highest reducing sugar release from corn stalk (206.21 ± 19.11 μg/mL), followed by wheat bran (106.63 ± 20.08 μg/mL) and rapeseed straw (93.83 ± 3.57 μg/mL). Overall, RuCel224 is a highly versatile cellulase under mild conditions, demonstrating strong adaptability to agricultural residues. Its superior performance on corn stalk highlights its potential for bioethanol production and other biomass valorization processes.

Source: BioResources

DOI: 10.15376/biores.20.3.5501-5513