Molecular cloning, expression, purification and characterization of a novel cellulase gene (Bh-EGaseI) in the beetle Batocera horsfieldi

• We cloned a novel cellulase gene from Batocera horsfieldi.
• We expressed and purified the recombinant cellulase.
• We characterized the recombinant cellulase biochemically.

Wood-feeding insects depend heavily on the secretion of a combination of cellulases, mainly endoglucanases and other glucanases such as exoglucanases and xylanases, to achieve efficient digestion of the cellulose of cellulosic materials. In this paper, we report a novel cellulose Bh-EGaseI belonging to the glycoside hydrolase family 45(gh45-1) obtained from the beetle Batocera horsfieldi. The Bh-EGaseI gene spans 714 bp and consists of three exons coding 237 amino acid residues. The cDNA encoding Bh-EGaseI was expressed as 25 KDa in baculovirus-infected Bombyx mori larvae. The expression products of Bh-EGaseI from larval hemolymph showed a specific enzymatic activity of approximately 1030.87 IU per mg. The enzyme was active over a wide range of pH and temperatures; optimal activity was observed at 40 °C and pH 4.0. The effects of ions on Bh-EGaseI activity were also studied, and results indicated that activity decreased to different extents upon addition of ions. Investigations on Bh-EGaseI facilitate their potential application in the production of bioenergy and biomaterials from cellulosic biomass in the future.