Applied Entomology and Zoology (2007) 42, 457-463

Jinfeng Ni, Gaku Tokuda, Motomi Takehara and Hirofumi Watanabe (2007)
Heterologous expression and enzymatic characterization of ß-glucosidase from the drywood-eating termite, Neotermes koshunensis
Applied Entomology and Zoology 42 (3), 457-463
Abstract: A ß-glucosidase cDNA from the termite, Neotermes koshunensis, was successfully overexpressed in Escherichia coli, and the product was purified to homogeneity by affinity purification against His-tags. The molecular weight of the recombinant enzyme was 60 kDa. The expressed ß-glucosidase preferentially hydrolyzed laminaribiose and cellobiose rather than synthetic substrates such as p-nitrophenolic compounds. The Km value of cellobiose was 3.8 mM and Vmax was 220 U (μmol of glucose/min)/mg. The optimum pH and thermostability were 5.0 and 45°C, respectively. These enzymatic characters are mostly consistent with the partially-purified ß-glucosidase from the salivary glands of N. koshunensis. However, the specific activity of the recombinant enzyme was 156.7 U/mg, which is almost 3-folds of that of the partially purified ß-glucosidase of N. koshunensis. Owing to the successful expression of the termite ß-glucosidase in E. coli, it may provide an opportunity of termite ß-glucosidase for further improvement of the enzymatic properties for potential industrial applications with the aid of bioengineering.
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Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution
molecular biology - genes

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Neotermes koshunensis