[Enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose. Inactivation and stabilization of the enzymes of the cellulose complex].

The thermal inactivation of the individual cellulolytic components (endoglucanase, EC 3.2.1.4; exoglucosidase, EC 3.2.1.74; cellobiase, EC 3.2.1.21) from the fungi Trichoderma reesei, T. viride, T. lignorum an Aspergillus foetidus has been studied without resolution of the cellulase complexes. The kinetics of the thermal inactivation follow the first order for cellobiase of Asp. foetidus alone and show a more complex picture which is typical for a number of isoenzymes of different thermal stabilities for other cellulolytic components of all the cellulases under study. It was shown that selective elimination of acid proteinase from the cellulase preparations by affinity chromatography did not affect the time course of the thermal inactivation. Covalent attachment of the cellulases to porous glass and to some soluble high polymer supports only resulted in slight stabilizing effects (200-250%). Some polymer effectors (e. g. polyethylene glycols with Mr of 4000 and 40,000 and maltodextrins), as well as the end products of enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose (i. e. glucose) did not affect the thermal stability of the cellulases under study. In some cases cellulose itself (cotton, CM-cellulose) produced a thermostabilizing effect (3-4-fold) on cellulolytic enzymes.