Ana Luísa M. de Carvalho
Senior Researcher in Structural Biology @UCIBIO-i4HB/FCT-NOVA
almc [at] fct.unl.pt (email)
almc [at] fct.unl.pt (email)
Cellulosomes are highly elaborate multi-enzyme complexes of Carbohydrate Active enZYmes (CAZYmes) secreted by cellulolytic microorganisms, which very effectively degrade the most abundant polymers on Earth, cellulose and hemicelluloses. Cellulosome assembly requires that a non-catalytic dockerin module found in cellulosomal enzymes binds to one of the various cohesin domains located in a large molecular scaffold called Scaffoldin. A diversity of cohesin -dockerin binding specificities have been described, the combination of which may result in complex plant cell wall degrading systems, maximising the synergy between enzymes in order to improve catalytic efficiency. Structural studies have allowed the spatial flexibility inherent to the cellulosomal system to be determined. Recent progress achieved from the study of the fundamental cohesin and dockerin units involved in cellulosome assembly will be reviewed.
ISI Document Delivery No.: 951WJ Times Cited: 0 Cited Reference Count: 45 Pinheiro, Benedita Andrade Armada Bras, Joana Luis Najmudin, Shabir Carvalho, Ana Luisa Ferreira, Luis M. A. Prates, Jose A. M. Godinho Andrade Fontes, Carlos Mendes INFORMA HEALTHCARE LONDON