title: Assembly of synthetic cellulose I.
abstract: Cellulose microfibrils with an electron diffraction pattern characteristic of crystalline native cellulose I have been assembled abiotically by means of a cellulase-catalyzed polymerization of beta-cellobiosyl fluoride substrate monomer in acetonitrile/acetate buffer. Substantial purification of the Trichoderma viride cellulase enzyme was found to be essential for the formation of the synthetic cellulose I allomorph. Assembly of synthetic cellulose I appears to be a result of a micellar aggregation of the partially purified enzyme and the substrate in an organic/aqueous solvent system favoring the alignment of glucan chains with the same polarity and extended chain conformation, resulting in crystallization to form the metastable cellulose I allomorph.
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, University of Texas, Austin 78713-7640.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuga
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shoda
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates; D000097:Acetonitriles; D002021:Buffers; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D002475:Cellobiose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D002480:Cellulase / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D002482:Cellulose / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D043366:Cellulose 1,4-beta-Cellobiosidase; D004583:Electrons; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D017979:Gold Colloid; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014242:Trichoderma / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D000097:Acetonitriles; D002021:Buffers; D017979:Gold Colloid; C074099:cellobiosyl fluoride; D002475:Cellobiose; D002482:Cellulose; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases; D002480:Cellulase; D043366:Cellulose 1,4-beta-Cellobiosidase; C032159:acetonitrile