Engineering Robust Cellulases for Tailored Lignocellulosic Degradation Cocktails

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Olga Korotkova¹  Aleksandra M. Rozhkova¹  Ivan N. Zorov¹  Arkady P. Sinitsyn¹  Mehdi D. Davari²  Ulrich Schwaneberg²  Subrata Pramanik²  Francisca Contreras² 

[1] Federal Research Centre «Fundamentals of Biotechnology» of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071 Moscow, Russia;Institute of Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 3, 52074 Aachen, Germany;

关键词: cellulases;    protein engineering;    directed evolution;    enzyme cocktail;    biofuels;    biomass degradation;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijms21051589

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Lignocellulosic biomass is a most promising feedstock in the production of second-generation biofuels. Efficient degradation of lignocellulosic biomass requires a synergistic action of several cellulases and hemicellulases. Cellulases depolymerize cellulose, the main polymer of the lignocellulosic biomass, to its building blocks. The production of cellulase cocktails has been widely explored, however, there are still some main challenges that enzymes need to overcome in order to develop a sustainable production of bioethanol. The main challenges include low activity, product inhibition, and the need to perform fine-tuning of a cellulase cocktail for each type of biomass. Protein engineering and directed evolution are powerful technologies to improve enzyme properties such as increased activity, decreased product inhibition, increased thermal stability, improved performance in non-conventional media, and pH stability, which will lead to a production of more efficient cocktails. In this review, we focus on recent advances in cellulase cocktail production, its current challenges, protein engineering as an efficient strategy to engineer cellulases, and our view on future prospects in the generation of tailored cellulases for biofuel production.

【 授权许可】

Unknown