African Journal of
Biotechnology

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Biotechnol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1684-5315
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJB
  • Start Year: 2002
  • Published Articles: 12487

Full Length Research Paper

Isolation of cellulolytic activities from Tribolium castaneum (red flour beetle)

Fayyaz Ur Rehman1*, Mehwish Aslam1, M. Ilyas Tariq1, Ashraf Shaheen1, Amtul Jamil Sami2, Naima Huma Naveed3 and Aima Iram Batool3
  1Department of Chemistry, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan. 2Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan. 3Department of Biological Sciences, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan.
Email: [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 26 May 2009
  •  Published: 01 December 2009

Abstract

 

Cellulolytic enzymes have immense potential to convert cellulosic biomass into useful products. Tribolium castaneum crude proteins were isolated to screen the cellulolytic activities. The activity was established by substrate-agar plate assay and confirmed by endoglucanase assay. Cellulolytic activity was further purified and characterized using the different chromatographic techniques and electrophoresis. Gel filtration chromatography showed the presence of multiple forms of enzyme activities with different molecular weights. Stability of enzyme activity was investigated at different temperatures and pH. Optimum pH for was found 4.8 at 40oC determined as optimum temperature. Gradually decreasing Enzyme activity remained half at 60oC. Zymography and SDS-PAGE showed the presence of multiple forms of endoglucanase activities (Cel I and Cel II) with molecular weight of 55 kDa and 35 kDa.

 

Key words: Tribolium castaneum, cellulolytic enzymes, endoglucanase, insect cellulase, red flour beetle.

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This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

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