How Does Plant Cell Wall Nanoscale Architecture Correlate with Enzymatic Digestibility?

Greater understanding of the mechanisms contributing to chemical and enzymatic solubilization of plant cell walls is critical for enabling cost-effective industrial conversion of cellulosic biomass to biofuels. Here, we report the use of correlative imaging in real time to assess the impact of pretr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2012-11, Vol.338 (6110), p.1055-1060
Main Authors: Ding, Shi-You, Liu, Yu-San, Zeng, Yining, Himmel, Michael E., Baker, John O., Bayer, Edward A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Architecture
Bacteria
Biofuel production
Biofuels
Biological and medical sciences
Biomass
Biotechnology
Cell Wall - chemistry
Cell walls
Cells
Cellulase
Cellulases - chemistry
Cellulose
Cellulose - chemistry
Cellulosomes
Clostridium thermocellum - enzymology
Energy
Enzymes
Flowers & plants
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects
Lignin
Lignin - chemistry
Microscopy
Microscopy, Confocal - methods
Molecular Imaging
Nanoparticles - chemistry
Nanostructure
Nanostructured materials
Plant cells
Plant Cells - chemistry
Plants
Polysaccharides
Polysaccharides - chemistry
Preserves
Solar fibrils
Spectrum Analysis, Raman - methods
Trichoderma - enzymology
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Summary:Greater understanding of the mechanisms contributing to chemical and enzymatic solubilization of plant cell walls is critical for enabling cost-effective industrial conversion of cellulosic biomass to biofuels. Here, we report the use of correlative imaging in real time to assess the impact of pretreatment as well as the resulting nanometer-scale changes in cell wall structure, upon subsequent digestion by two commercially relevant cellulase systems. We demonstrate that the small, noncomplexed fungal cellulases deconstruct cell walls using mechanisms that differ considerably from those of the larger, multienzyme complexes (cellulosomes). Furthermore, high-resolution measurement of the microfibrillar architecture of cell walls suggests that digestion is primarily facilitated by enabling enzyme access to the hydrophobic cellulose face. The data support the conclusion that ideal pretreatments should maximize lignin removal and minimize polysaccharide modification, thereby retaining the essentially native microfibrillar structure.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.1227491