Adsorption and kinetic behavior of purified endoglucanases and exoglucanases from Trichoderma viride

Adsorption on crystalline cellulose of six endoglucanases (Endo I, II, III, IV, V and VI; 1, 4-beta-D-glucan glucanohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.4) and two exoglucanases (Exo II and III; 1,4-beta-D-glucan cellobiohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.92), purified from a commercial cellulase preparation of Trichoderma viride origin, was studied. Endo I, III, and V adsorbed strongly on Avicel cellulose, while adsorption of Endo II, IV, and VI was much lower. Also, the two exoglucanases could be divided into one enzyme (Exo III) that had a high adsorption affinity and another enzyme (Exo II) that adsorbed only moderately. Adsorption data fitted the Langmuir-type adsorption isotherm. However, adsorption was only partially reversible with respect to dilution. No relation could be found between adsorption affinity and degree of randomness in cellulose hydrolysis, measured as the diversity of released hydrolytic products. Kinetic measurements indicated that only part of the adsorbed enzyme molecules are hydrolytically active.