Address for correspondence: Roy H. Doi, Section of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616. Voice: (530) 752-3191. rhdoi{at}ucdavis.edu
The cellulolytic activity of mesophilic bacteria and fungi is
described, with special emphasis on the large extracellular
enzyme complex called the cellulosome. The cellulosome is composed
of a scaffolding protein, which is attached to various cellulolytic
and hemicellulolytic enzymes, and this complex allows the organisms
to degrade plant cell walls very efficently. The enzymes include
a variety of cellulases, hemicellulases, and pectinases that
work synergistically to degrade complex cell-wall molecules.
