Purification, characterization and gene analysis of exo-cellulase II (Ex-2) from the white rot basidiomycete Irpex lacteus

A new exo-type cellulase, named exo-cellulase II (Ex-2), was purified from the crude enzyme preparation of Irpex lacteus. Ex-2 was very similar to the previously characterized exo-cellulase I(Ex-1)with respect to enzymatic features such as optimal pH, temperature, heat stability, and catalytic activity, However, Ex-2 exhibited greater pH stability than Ex-1. The molecular mass and carbohydrate content of Ex-2 (56,000, 4.0%) were different from those of Ex-1 (53,000, 2.0%). A cellulase gene (named cel2) encoding both Ex-2 and Ex-1 was isolated from an I. lacteus genomic library. The cel2 gene was found to consist of 1569 bp with an open reading frame encoding 523 amino acids, interrupted by two introns. The deduced amino acid sequences revealed that cel2 ORF has a modular structure consisting of a catalytic domain and a fungal-type cellulose-binding domain (CBD) separated by a serine-rich linker region. The catalytic domain was homologous to those of fungal cellobiohydrolases belonging to family 7 of the glycosyl hydrolases. Northern blot analysis showed that expression of the cel2 gene was induced by various cellulosic substrates and repressed by glucose, fructose, and lactose.