title: Cellodextrin utilization and beta-glucosidase production by Bacteroides polypragmatus.
abstract: Bacteroides polypragmatus, a mesophilic obligate anaerobe, was shown to simultaneously ferment glucose and cellobiose giving ethanol as a major metabolic end-product. A mixture of higher cellodextrins was also utilized. The bacterium produced a beta-glucosidase with a pI value of 4.2 and a molecular weight of approximately 100,000 daltons. The enzyme was intracellular and functioned optimally at pH 7. The Km values obtained with p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-glucoside and cellobiose as substrates were 0.73 mM and 100 mM, respectively. The enzyme was quite stable at elevated temperatures; in the presence of 10% glycerol (v/v), it had a half-life of 4 h at 55 degrees C. It was also stable during long-term storage at either 4 degrees C or -20 degrees C, provided that 10% (v/v) glycerol was added to preparations maintained at -20 degrees C.
mesh_terms: D001439:Bacteroides / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002482:Cellulose / Q000378:metabolism*; D003912:Dextrins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005285:Fermentation; D005959:Glucosidases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007700:Kinetics; D013213:Starch / Q000378:metabolism*; D001617:beta-Glucosidase / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D003912:Dextrins; D002482:Cellulose; D013213:Starch; D005959:Glucosidases; D001617:beta-Glucosidase