Cellulase enzymes

• US 6,428,996 B1
• Filed: 10/27/1999
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Academia Sinica (Government of The Republic of China)
• Original Assignee: Academia Sinica (Government of The Republic of China)
• Inventors: Tsai, Cheng-Fang, Liu, Jin-Hao, Cheng, Kuo-Joan, Hsu, Yih-Chih
• Primary Examiner(s): Saidha, Tekchand
• Application Number:
  US09/428,034
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 Days
• Field of Search: 435/252.3, 435/320.1, 435/209, 435/200, 435/410, 536/23.2
• US Class Current: 435/209
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 9/2437 Cellulases (3.2.1.4; 3.2.1.74; 3.2.1.91; 3.2.1.150)
• CPC Class Codes: C12Y 302/01091 Cellulose 1,4-beta-cellobiosidase (3.2.1.91)

Abstract

The invention relates to a new cellulase enzyme isolated from the fungus Piromyces rhizinflata and nucleic acids encoding it.

Claims

1. An isolated nucleic acid encoding a substantially pure polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence at least 85% identical to SEQ ID NO:

4, wherein the polypeptide hydrolyzes a polysaccharide containing a β

-1,3′

or β

-1,4′

glycosidic linkage.

2. The isolated nucleic acid of claim 1, wherein the amino acid sequence is at least 90% identical to SEQ ID NO:

4.

3. The isolated nucleic acid of claim 2, wherein the amino acid sequence is at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:

4.

4. The isolated nucleic acid of claim 3, wherein the amino acid sequence is SEQ ID NO:

4.

5. The isolated nucleic acid of claim 1, wherein the polysaccharide is cellulose.

6. An isolated nucleic acid comprising a sequence encoding a polypeptide that hydrolyzes a polysaccharide containing a β

-1,3′

or β

-1,4′

glycosidic linkage, wherein the nucleic acid hybridizes under stringent conditions to SEQ ID NO;

1.

7. A vector comprising the nucleic acid of claim 6.

8. A transformed cell comprising the nucleic acid of claim 6.