Publications by authors named "Luis M A Ferreira"

The cellulosome is an elaborate multi-enzyme structure secreted by many anaerobic microorganisms for the efficient degradation of lignocellulosic substrates. It is composed of multiple catalytic and non-catalytic components that are assembled through high-affinity protein-protein interactions between the enzyme-borne dockerin (Doc) modules and the repeated cohesin (Coh) modules present in primary scaffoldins. In some cellulosomes, primary scaffoldins can interact with adaptor and cell-anchoring scaffoldins to create structures of increasing complexity.

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In nature, the deconstruction of plant carbohydrates is carried out by carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes). A high-throughput (HTP) strategy was used to isolate and clone 1476 genes obtained from a diverse library of recombinant CAZymes covering a variety of sequence-based families, enzyme classes, and source organisms. All genes were successfully isolated by either PCR (61%) or gene synthesis (GS) (39%) and were subsequently cloned into Escherichia coli expression vectors.

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The Cellulosome is an intricate macromolecular protein complex that centralizes the cellulolytic efforts of many anaerobic microorganisms through the promotion of enzyme synergy and protein stability. The assembly of numerous carbohydrate processing enzymes into a macromolecular multiprotein structure results from the interaction of enzyme-borne dockerin modules with repeated cohesin modules present in noncatalytic scaffold proteins, termed scaffoldins. Cohesin-dockerin (Coh-Doc) modules are typically classified into different types, depending on structural conformation and cellulosome role.

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Cellulosomes are highly sophisticated molecular nanomachines that participate in the deconstruction of complex polysaccharides, notably cellulose and hemicellulose. Cellulosomal assembly is orchestrated by the interaction of enzyme-borne dockerin (Doc) modules to tandem cohesin (Coh) modules of a non-catalytic primary scaffoldin. In some cases, as exemplified by the cellulosome of the major cellulolytic ruminal bacterium Ruminococcus flavefaciens, primary scaffoldins bind to adaptor scaffoldins that further interact with the cell surface via anchoring scaffoldins, thereby increasing cellulosome complexity.

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The cellulosome is a remarkably intricate multienzyme nanomachine produced by anaerobic bacteria to degrade plant cell wall polysaccharides. Cellulosome assembly is mediated through binding of enzyme-borne dockerin modules to cohesin modules of the primary scaffoldin subunit. The anaerobic bacterium produces a highly intricate cellulosome comprising an adaptor scaffoldin, ScaB, whose cohesins interact with the dockerin of the primary scaffoldin (ScaA) that integrates the cellulosomal enzymes.

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Cellulosomes are sophisticated multi-enzymatic nanomachines produced by anaerobes to effectively deconstruct plant structural carbohydrates. Cellulosome assembly involves the binding of enzyme-borne dockerins (Doc) to repeated cohesin (Coh) modules located in a non-catalytic scaffoldin. Docs appended to cellulosomal enzymes generally present two similar Coh-binding interfaces supporting a dual-binding mode, which may confer increased positional adjustment of the different complex components.

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Deconstruction of cellulose, the most abundant plant cell wall polysaccharide, requires the cooperative activity of a large repertoire of microbial enzymes. Modular cellulases contain non-catalytic type A carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs) that specifically bind to the crystalline regions of cellulose, thus promoting enzyme efficacy through proximity and targeting effects. Although type A CBMs play a critical role in cellulose recycling, their mechanism of action remains poorly understood.

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Background: Animal venoms are large, complex libraries of bioactive, disulphide-rich peptides. These peptides, and their novel biological activities, are of increasing pharmacological and therapeutic importance. However, recombinant expression of venom peptides in Escherichia coli remains difficult due to the significant number of cysteine residues requiring effective post-translational processing.

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The assembly of one of Nature's most elaborate multienzyme complexes, the cellulosome, results from the binding of enzyme-borne dockerins to reiterated cohesin domains located in a non-catalytic primary scaffoldin. Generally, dockerins present two similar cohesin-binding interfaces that support a dual binding mode. The dynamic integration of enzymes in cellulosomes, afforded by the dual binding mode, is believed to incorporate additional flexibility in highly populated multienzyme complexes.

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The breakdown of plant cell wall (PCW) glycans is an important biological and industrial process. Noncatalytic carbohydrate binding modules (CBMs) fulfill a critical targeting function in PCW depolymerization. Defining the portfolio of CBMs, the CBMome, of a PCW degrading system is central to understanding the mechanisms by which microbes depolymerize their target substrates.

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A thermostable, alkaline rhamnogalacturonan lyase (RG lyase) CtRGLf, of family 11 polysaccharide lyase from Clostridium thermocellum was cloned, expressed, purified and biochemically characterised. Both, the full-length CtRGLf (80 kDa) protein and its truncated derivative CtRGL (63.9 kDa) were expressed as soluble proteins and displayed maximum activity against rhamnogalacturonan I (RG I).

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Ruminant herbivores meet their carbon and energy requirements from a symbiotic relationship with cellulosome-producing anaerobic bacteria that efficiently degrade plant cell-wall polysaccharides. The assembly of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) into cellulosomes enhances protein stability and enzyme synergistic interactions. Cellulosomes comprise diverse CAZymes displaying a modular architecture in which a catalytic domain is connected, via linker sequences, to one or more noncatalytic carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs).

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A number of anaerobic microorganisms produce multi-modular, multi-enzyme complexes termed cellulosomes. These extracellular macromolecular nanomachines are designed for the efficient degradation of plant cell-wall carbohydrates to smaller sugars that are subsequently used as a source of carbon and energy. Cellulolytic strains from the rumens of mammals, such as Ruminococcus flavefaciens, have been shown to have one of the most complex cellulosomal systems known.

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Cohesin-dockerin interactions orchestrate the assembly of one of nature's most elaborate multienzyme complexes, the cellulosome. Cellulosomes are produced exclusively by anaerobic microbes and mediate highly efficient hydrolysis of plant structural polysaccharides, such as cellulose and hemicellulose. In the canonical model of cellulosome assembly, type I dockerin modules of the enzymes bind to reiterated type I cohesin modules of a primary scaffoldin.

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Protein-protein interactions play a pivotal role in the assembly of the cellulosome, one of nature's most intricate nanomachines dedicated to the depolymerization of complex carbohydrates. The integration of cellulosomal components usually occurs through the binding of type I dockerin modules located at the C terminus of the enzymes to cohesin modules located in the primary scaffoldin subunit. Cellulosomes are typically recruited to the cell surface via type II cohesin-dockerin interactions established between primary and cell-surface anchoring scaffoldin subunits.

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Structural carbohydrates comprise an extraordinary source of energy that remains poorly utilized by the biofuel sector as enzymes have restricted access to their substrates within the intricacy of plant cell walls. Carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZYmes) that target recalcitrant polysaccharides are modular enzymes containing noncatalytic carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs) that direct enzymes to their cognate substrate, thus potentiating catalysis. In general, CBMs are functionally and structurally autonomous from their associated catalytic domains from which they are separated through flexible linker sequences.

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The cloning, expression and characterization of three cellulosomal pectinolytic enzymes viz., two variants of PL1 (PL1A and PL1B) and PL9 from Clostridium thermocellum was carried out. The comparison of the primary sequences of PL1A, PL1B and PL9 revealed that these proteins displayed considerable sequence similarities with family 1 and 9 polysaccharide lyases, respectively.

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Microbial degradation of the plant cell wall is a fundamental biological process with considerable industrial importance. Hydrolysis of recalcitrant polysaccharides is orchestrated by a large repertoire of carbohydrate-active enzymes that display a modular architecture in which a catalytic domain is connected via linker sequences to one or more noncatalytic carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs). CBMs direct the appended catalytic modules to their target substrates, thus potentiating catalysis.

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Anaerobic bacteria organize carbohydrate-active enzymes into a multi-component complex, the cellulosome, which degrades cellulose and hemicellulose highly efficiently. Genome sequencing of Ruminococcus flavefaciens FD-1 offers extensive information on the range and diversity of the enzymatic and structural components of the cellulosome. The R.

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Cellulases catalyze the hydrolysis of cellulose, the major constituent of plant biomass and the most abundant organic polymer on earth. Cellulases are modular enzymes containing catalytic domains connected, via linker sequences, to noncatalytic carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs). A putative modular endo-β-1,4-glucanase (BhCel5B) is encoded at locus BH0603 in the genome of Bacillus halodurans.

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Anaerobic cellulolytic bacteria organize a comprehensive range of cellulases and hemicellulases in high molecular weight multienzyme complexes termed cellulosomes. Integration of cellulosomal components occurs via highly ordered protein-protein interactions between cohesins and dockerins. This paper reports the production of mini-cellulosomes containing one (GH16-1C) or three (GH16-3C) copies of Clostridium thermocellum glucanase 16A (CtGlc16A).

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Plant cell-wall polysaccharides offer an abundant energy source utilized by many microorganisms, thus playing a central role in carbon recycling. Aerobic microorganisms secrete carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) that catabolize this composite structure, comprising cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, into simple compounds such as glucose. Carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs) enhance the efficacy of associated CAZYmes.

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Interactions between cohesin and dockerin modules are critical for the formation of the cellulosome, which is responsible for the efficient degradation of plant cell-wall carbohydrates by anaerobes. Type I dockerin modules found in modular enzymatic components interact with type I cohesins in primary scaffoldins, enabling the assembly of the multi-enzyme complex. In contrast, type II dockerins located in primary scaffoldins bind to type II cohesins in adaptor scaffoldins or anchoring scaffoldins located at the bacterial envelope, contributing to the cell-surface attachment of the entire complex.

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The modular carbohydrate-active enzyme belonging to glycoside hydrolase family 30 (GH30) from Clostridium thermocellum (CtXynGH30) is a cellulosomal protein which plays an important role in plant cell-wall degradation. The full-length CtXynGH30 contains an N-terminal catalytic module (Xyn30A) followed by a family 6 carbohydrate-binding module (CBM6) and a dockerin at the C-terminus. The recombinant protein has a molecular mass of 45 kDa.

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The rumen anaerobic cellulolytic bacterium Eubacterium cellulosolvens produces a large range of cellulases and hemicellulases responsible for the efficient hydrolysis of plant cell wall polysaccharides. One of these enzymes, endoglucanase Cel5A, comprises a tandemly repeated carbohydrate-binding module (CBM65) fused to a glycoside hydrolase family 5 (Cel5A) catalytic domain, joined by flexible linker sequences. The second carbohydrate-binding module located at the C-terminus side of the endoglucanase (CBM65B) has been co-crystallized with either cellohexaose or xyloglucan heptasaccharide.

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