Domain structure and conformation of a cellobiohydrolase from Trichoderma pseudokiningii S-38

A cellobiohydrolase (CBH) with a molecular mass of 66 kD was purified from Trichoderma pseudokiningii S-38. Papain digestion produced a 59- to 60-kD core domain with 54% of intact activity on crystalline cellulose and with full activity against soluble substrates. Digestion products also included two small peptides with molecular mass of about 3-4 kD, which are heavily glycosylated and difficult to purify; the mixed peptides displayed the capacity to disorganize the cellulose fiber. The sequencing results indicated that the intact enzyme had a blocked N-terminal and there was a 10-amino-acid sequence in the N-terminal of the core protein of Ser-Gly-Thr-Ala-Val-Thr-Cys-Leu-Ala-Asp. Fluorescence and circular dichroism properties indicated that the core protein has an independent conformation and is conformationally similar to intact enzyme, suggesting that the spectroscopic properties of the intact enzyme come from the core protein.