The non-catalytic C-terminal region of endoglucanase E from Clostridium thermocellum contains a cellulose-binding domain.

Mature endoglucanase E (EGE) from Clostridium thermocellum consists of 780 amino acid residues and has an Mr of 84,016. The N-terminal 334 amino acids comprise a functional catalytic domain. Full-length EGE bound to crystalline cellulose (Avicel) but not to xylan. Bound enzyme could be eluted with distilled water. The capacity of truncated derivatives of the enzyme to bind cellulose was investigated. EGE lacking 109 C-terminal residues (EGEd) or a derivative in which residues 367-432 of the mature form of the enzyme had been deleted (EGEb), bound to Avicel, whereas EGEa and EGEc, which lack 416 and 246 C-terminal residues respectively, did not. The specific activity of EGEa, consisting of the N-terminal 364 amino acids, was 4-fold higher than that of the full-length enzyme. The truncated derivative also exhibited lower affinity for the substrate beta-glucan than the full-length enzyme. It is concluded that EGE contains a cellulose-binding domain, located between residues 432 and 671, that is distinct from the active site. The role of this substrate-binding domain is discussed.