Characterization of a novel manganese dependent endoglucanase belongs in GH family 5 from Phanerochaete chrysosporium.

The cDNA encoding a putative glycoside hydrolase family 5, which has been predicted to be an endoglucanase (PcEg5A), was cloned from Phanerochaete chrysosporium and expressed in Pichia pastoris. PcEg5A contains a carbohydrate-binding domain and two important amino acids, E209 and E319, playing as proton donor and nucleophile in substrate catalytic domain. SDS-PAGE analysis indicated that the recombinant endoglucanase 5A (rPcEg5A) has a molecular size of 43 kDa which corresponds with the theoretical calculation.

Putative endoglucanase PcGH5 from Phanerochaete chrysosporium is a β-xylosidase that cleaves xylans in synergistic action with endo-xylanase.

A predicted endoglucanase gene (PcGH5) was cloned from Phanerochaete chysosporium, and expressed in Pichia pastoris. Although PcGH5 showed similarity with the conserved domains of a cellulase superfamily GH5, a β-glucosidase/6-phospho-β-glucosidase/β-galactosidase superfamily, and an endoglucanase, recombinant PcGH5 exhibited a β-xylosidase activity, rather than endoglucanase activity. Therefore, the predicted gene was named as PcXyl5.