DEGRADATION OF CELLULASES IN CULTURES OF CELLULOMONAS-FIMI

Endoglucanases CenA, CenB and CenD, cellobiohydrolases CbhA and CbhB, and the mixed function xylanase-exoglucanase Cex are degraded proteoly tically in the supernatants of cultures of Cellulomonas fimi growing w ith cellulose. All of these polypeptides are modular. The initial site s of proteolysis are within or adjacent to the linkers connecting the modules, leading to the appearance of discrete fragments of the enzyme s which retain the functions of the component modules.