Cellulase producing actinomycetes, cellulase produced therefrom and method of producing same

#A. Technical Field

#The present invention relates to cellulase compositions produced by Actinomycete, methods of producing such cellulases and the use of such cellulases. The present invention further relates to the use of the novel cellulase in compositions recognized in the art as advantageously having cellulase added thereto, including, as an additive in a detergent composition, in the treatment of textiles such as cellulose containing fabrics and fibers useful therefor, as an animal feed additive, as a processing aid in baking, in the treatment of pulp and paper and in the treatment of starch for the production of high fructose corn-syrup or ethanol.

#B. State of the Art

#FIG. 1 shows the deduced amino acid sequence of an approximately 35 kD cellulase according to the invention showing the leader sequence in bold. Coded letters are according to the IUPAC-IUB Biochemical Nomenclature Commission (as described in the GenBank Patentln User Manual, PC-DOS/MS-DOS Version, November, 1990)(SEQ. ID. NO:1).

#FIG. 2 shows the DNA sequence encoding an approximately 35 kD cellulase according to the invention (SEQ.ID.NO:2).

#FIG. 3 shows the pH/activity profile of an approximately 35 kD cellulase according to the invention at 40° C. and 60° C.

#“Derivative” is intended to indicate a protein which is derived from the native protein by addition of one or more amino acids to either or both the C- and N-terminal end of the native protein, substitution of one or more amino acids at one or a number of different sites in the native amino acid sequence, deletion of one or more amino acids at either or both ends of the native protein or at one or more sites in the amino acid sequence, or insertion of one or more amino acids at one or more sites in the native amino acid sequence. The preparation of an enzyme derivative is preferably achieved by modifying a DNA sequence which encodes for the native protein, transformation of that DNA sequence into a suitable host, and expression of the modified DNA sequence to form the derivative enzyme. The derivative of the invention includes peptides comprising altered amino acid sequences in comparison with a precursor enzyme amino acid sequence (e.g., a wild type or native state enzyme according to the present invention) and which peptides retain a characteristic enzyme nature of the precursor enzyme but which have altered properties in some specific aspect. For example, an altered cellulase may have an increased pH optimum or increased temperature resistance but will retain its characteristic cellulolytic activity.

#“Host cell” means a cell which has the capacity to act as a host and expression vehicle for a recombinant DNA vector according to the present invention. In a preferred embodiment according to the present invention, “host cell” means the cells of Bacillus.

#“DNA construct” or “DNA vector” means a nucleotide sequence which comprises one or more DNA fragments encoding any of the novel cellulases or cellulase derivatives described above.