Chapter 6: Cellulases and Hemicellulases for Biomass Degradation: An Introduction
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Published:17 Aug 2011
S. Datta and R. Sapra, in Chemical and Biochemical Catalysis for Next Generation Biofuels, ed. B. A. Simmons and L. Peter, The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2011, ch. 6, pp. 115-135.
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The development of second-generation biofuels will require a wide variety of lignocellulosic feedstocks that can be grown sustainably and processed cost-effectively in different geographical area. In nature bioconversion of lignocellulosic residues is initiated primarily by microorganisms such as fungi and bacteria. The mechanism of degradation varies with the organism and the environment. While fungi primarily produce large amounts of extracellular cellulolytic enzymes, some bacterial and a few anaerobic fungal strains produce cellulolytic enzymes in a complex called cellulosome. The cellulolytic enzymes including endoglucanases, cellobiohydrolases (exoglucanases) and β-glucosidases hydrolyze the cellooligomers in a synergistic manner. Here we introduce the different cellulolytic enzymes required for the conversion of lignocelluloses to monomeric sugars.