Molecular Cloning and Expression of Cellulase Genes from Ruminococcus albus 8 in Escherichia coli Bacteriophage lambda.

A genomic library of Ruminococcus albus 8 DNA was constructed by using the Escherichia coli bacteriophage lambdaDASH. Recombinants were screened for cellulolytic activity by plating in soft agar (0.7%) overlays containing either 1% (wt/vol) carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-d-cellobioside (MUC, 1 mg/ml), or 1% (wt/vol) Ostazin brilliant red-hydroxyethyl cellulose (OBR-HEC). One hundred and three recombinant phage exhibiting activity against OBR-HEC were found, and these fell into different classes based on the size of the zone of hydrolysis. Twenty-one recombinant phage exhibiting activity against CMC and 19 recombinant phage exhibiting activity against MUC were isolated. Four OBR-HEC, five CMC, and seven MUC clones were further analyzed by restriction endonuclease mapping and cellulase substrate specificity to identify unique clones and to determine their cellulase type. Three different clone types representing endoglucanase activity were identified. Three clones that appeared to encode exoglucanase type activity and four clones that had a mixed specificity, including beta-glucosidase activity, were also identified.