WO2000014208A1 - Compositions de cellulase du type egiii, and codant ces compositions de cellulase du type egiii et procedes de preparation associe - Google Patents

Compositions de cellulase du type egiii, and codant ces compositions de cellulase du type egiii et procedes de preparation associe Download PDF

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WO2000014208A1
WO2000014208A1 PCT/US1999/019154 US9919154W WO0014208A1 WO 2000014208 A1 WO2000014208 A1 WO 2000014208A1 US 9919154 W US9919154 W US 9919154W WO 0014208 A1 WO0014208 A1 WO 0014208A1
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Prior art keywords
cellulase
egiii
iike
detergent
dna
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PCT/US1999/019154
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English (en)
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Timothy Fowler
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Genencor International, Inc.
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Priority to AU56856/99A priority Critical patent/AU5685699A/en
Publication of WO2000014208A1 publication Critical patent/WO2000014208A1/fr

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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
    • C12N—MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA
    • C12N9/00—Enzymes; Proenzymes; Compositions thereof; Processes for preparing, activating, inhibiting, separating or purifying enzymes
    • C12N9/14—Hydrolases (3)
    • C12N9/24—Hydrolases (3) acting on glycosyl compounds (3.2)
    • C12N9/2402—Hydrolases (3) acting on glycosyl compounds (3.2) hydrolysing O- and S- glycosyl compounds (3.2.1)
    • C12N9/2405—Glucanases
    • C12N9/2434—Glucanases acting on beta-1,4-glucosidic bonds
    • C12N9/2437—Cellulases (3.2.1.4; 3.2.1.74; 3.2.1.91; 3.2.1.150)
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C11—ANIMAL OR VEGETABLE OILS, FATS, FATTY SUBSTANCES OR WAXES; FATTY ACIDS THEREFROM; DETERGENTS; CANDLES
    • C11D—DETERGENT COMPOSITIONS; USE OF SINGLE SUBSTANCES AS DETERGENTS; SOAP OR SOAP-MAKING; RESIN SOAPS; RECOVERY OF GLYCEROL
    • C11D3/00—Other compounding ingredients of detergent compositions covered in group C11D1/00
    • C11D3/16—Organic compounds
    • C11D3/38—Products with no well-defined composition, e.g. natural products
    • C11D3/386—Preparations containing enzymes, e.g. protease or amylase
    • C11D3/38645—Preparations containing enzymes, e.g. protease or amylase containing cellulase
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
    • C12Y—ENZYMES
    • C12Y302/00—Hydrolases acting on glycosyl compounds, i.e. glycosylases (3.2)
    • C12Y302/01—Glycosidases, i.e. enzymes hydrolysing O- and S-glycosyl compounds (3.2.1)
    • C12Y302/01004—Cellulase (3.2.1.4), i.e. endo-1,4-beta-glucanase
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06M—TREATMENT, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE IN CLASS D06, OF FIBRES, THREADS, YARNS, FABRICS, FEATHERS OR FIBROUS GOODS MADE FROM SUCH MATERIALS
    • D06M16/00—Biochemical treatment of fibres, threads, yarns, fabrics, or fibrous goods made from such materials, e.g. enzymatic
    • D06M16/003—Biochemical treatment of fibres, threads, yarns, fabrics, or fibrous goods made from such materials, e.g. enzymatic with enzymes or microorganisms
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06P—DYEING OR PRINTING TEXTILES; DYEING LEATHER, FURS OR SOLID MACROMOLECULAR SUBSTANCES IN ANY FORM
    • D06P5/00—Other features in dyeing or printing textiles, or dyeing leather, furs, or solid macromolecular substances in any form
    • D06P5/15—Locally discharging the dyes
    • D06P5/158—Locally discharging the dyes with other compounds

Definitions

  • the present invention is directed to novel mutant cellulase compositions which have improved resistance to stress such as temperature and surfactant, which stresses known to be problematic when used in conjunction with cellulase More specifically, the present invention relates to a family of mutant cellulase enzymes from fungi and bacteria which are related to EGIII produced by Tnchoderma reesei, but which have certain mutations which provide resistance to, for example, temperature stress and the presence of surfactant compounds such as linear alkyl sulfonates
  • Cellulases are enzymes which are capable of hydrolysis of the ⁇ -D- glucosidic linkages in celluloses
  • Cellulolytic enzymes have been traditionally divided into three major classes endoglucanases exoglucanases or cellobiohydrolases and ⁇ -glucosidases (Knowles J et al (1987), TIBTECH 5, 255- 261), and are known to be produced by a large number of bacteria, yeasts and fungi
  • cellulases are known to be useful in the treatment of mechanical pulp (see e g , PCT Publication No WO 92/16687) Additionally, cellulases are known to be useful as a feed additive (see e g , PCT Publication No WO 91/04673) and in grain wet milling
  • cellulases are used in the treatment of textiles, i e , in detergent compositions for assisting in the removal of dirt or grayish cast (see e g , Great Britain Application Nos 2,075,028, 2,095,275 and 2,094,826 which illustrate improved cleaning performance when detergents incorporate cellulase) or in the treatment of textiles prior to sale to improve the feel and appearance of the textile
  • Great Britain Application No 1 ,358,599 illustrates the use of cellulase in detergents to reduce the harshness of cotton containing fabrics and cellulases are used in the treatment of textiles to recondition used fabrics by making their colors more vibrant (see e.g., The Shizuoka Prefectural Hammamatsu Textile Industrial Research Institute Report, Vol.
  • cellulases have been shown to be effective in many industrial processes. Accordingly, there has been a trend in the field to search for specific cellulase compositions or components which have particularly effective performance profiles with respect to one or more specific applications.
  • cellulases produced (expressed) in fungi and bacteria have been subject of attention.
  • cellulase produced by certain fungi such as Trichoderma spp. (especially Trichoderma longibrachiatum) have been given much attention because a complete cellulase system capable of degrading crystalline forms of cellulose is readily produced in large quantities via fermentation procedures.
  • This specific cellulase complex has been extensively analyzed to determine the nature of its specific components and the ability of those components to perform in industrial processes.
  • PCT Publication No. WO 94/14953 discloses endoglucanases which are encoded by a nucleic acid which comprises any one of a series of DNA sequences, each having 20 nucleotides.
  • Ward et al. discloses the sequence of EGIII having the ammo acid strings NNLWG, ELMIW and GTEPFT. Additionally, two cellulase sequences, one from Erwinia carotovara and Rhodothermus marinus are disclosed in Saarilahti et al., Gene, Vol. 90, pp 9-14 (1990) and Hreggvidsson et al., Appl. Environ. Microb., Vol. 62, No. 8, pp. 3047- 3049 (1996) which contain the ammo acid string ELMIW.
  • EGIII from Tnchoderma reesei has very good resistance to LAS type compounds in comparison with many cellulases Thus, it is useful to compare EGIII to such enzymes with the intent of improving their performance in the presence of surfactant
  • a variant EGIII-Iike cellulase wherein one or more amino acids are modified or deleted to confer improved performance, including stability in the presence of thermal and/or surfactant mediated stress
  • the ammo acids to be modified corresponds in position to residues 11 , 12, 23, 27, 32, 51 , 55, 57, 79, 81 , 93, 107, 159, 179, 183 and/or 204 in EGIII from Trichoderma reesei except that the residue is not the specific ammo acid as present at that position in EGIII
  • the modifications correspond to L11 , 112, W23, T27, T32, A51 , S55, G57, S79, A81 , S93, N107, S159, T179, N183 and/or A204 or a conservative substitution thereof.
  • the variant EGIII-Iike cellulase is an endoglucanase
  • the enzyme is
  • a DNA encoding the variant EGIII-Iike cellulase according to the invention is provided Also provided are expression vectors comprising that DNA, host cells transformed with such expression vectors and variant EGIII-Iike cellulases produced by such host cells
  • EGIII-Iike enzymes are important to the performance of EGIII-Iike enzymes in the presence of surfactant, e.g , detergents, and also in the presence of temperature stress Accordingly, it is within the scope of the present invention to use of the EGIII-Iike enzyme in textile treatment, e.g., in laundry detergent or stonewashing compositions, in the reduction of biomass, in the production of feed additives or treatment of feed, in the treatment of wood pulp for the production of paper or pulp based products, and in the treatment of starch during gram wet milling or dry milling to facilitate the production of glucose, high fructose corn syrup and/or alcohol BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig 1 illustrates the am o acid sequence of EGIII from Tnchoderma longibrachiatum Fig 2 illustrates the DNA sequence of EGIII from Tnchoderma longibrachiatum without introns
  • Fig 3 illustrates an alignment of the full length sequence of 20 EGIII-Iike cellulases in alignment with EGIII, indicating equivalent residues based on primary sequence modeling, including those derived from Tnchoderma reesei, Hypocrea schweinitzii, Aspergillus aculeatus, Aspergillus kawachn (1), Aspergillus kawachn (2), Aspergillus oryzae, Humicola gnsea, Humicola msolens, Chaetomium brasilliense, Fusanum equiseti, Fusanum javanicum (1) Fusanum javanicum (2), Gliocladium roseum (1), Gliocladium roseum (2), Gliocladium roseum (3) Gliocladium roseum (4), Memnoniella echinata, Emencella deseiioru Actmomycete 11AG8, Streptomyces lividans CelB, Rho
  • Fig 4 illustrates a comparison of the depil ng performance of EGIII, an EGIII- Iike cellulase from Hypocrea schweinitzii, and a combination of EGIII and an EGIII- Iike cellulase from Hypocrea schweinitzii in LAS containing detergent at 40°C
  • hypocrea schweinitzii has significantly diminished performance under conditions of thermal stress and/or in the presence of surfactants This discovery is particularly pertinent as EGIII differs from its Hypocrea schweinitzii relative in only 14 positions indicating that these 14 positions have a significant impact on the stability and/or performance of EGIII
  • the present invention relates to a variant EGIII-Iike cellulase having improved stability to surfactants which is obtained from organisms other than Tnchoderma reesei
  • the variant is characterized by having one or more surfactant sensitive residues replaced with a residue conferring improved surfactant stability at that site
  • the surfactant sensitive residue is replaced with the residue present in EGIII at the equivalent position or a conservative substitution thereto
  • the variant EGIII-Iike cellulase comprises a modification at a position selected from the group consisting of one or more of the residues corresponding to residues 11 , 12, 23, 27, 32, 51 , 55, 57, 79, 81 , 93, 107, 159, 179, 183 and/or 204 in EGIII
  • the modification is selected from the group consisting of one or more of the following a leucme at the position corresponding to residue 11 in EGIII (L11), an isoleucme at the position corresponding to
  • Cellulase is a well classified category of enzymes in the art and includes enzymes capable of hydrolyzing cellulose polymers to shorter cellooligosaccha ⁇ de oligomers, cellobiose and/or glucose Common examples of cellulase enzymes include exo-cellobiohydrolases and endoglucanases and are obtainable from many species of cellulolytic organisms, particularly including fungi and bacteria "EGIII" cellulase refers to the endoglucanase component described in Ward et al., U.S. Patent No.
  • EGIII is derived from Trichoderma reesei (longibrachiatum) and is characterized by a pH optimum of about 5.8, an isoelectric point (pi) of about 7.4 and a molecular weight of about 25 kD.
  • the enzyme commonly referred to as EGll from Trichoderma reesei has been previously referred to in the literature by the nomenclature EGIII by some authors, but that enzyme differs substantially from the enzyme defined herein as EGIII in terms of molecular weight, pi and pH optimum.
  • EG-III like enzyme means enzymes which are related to EGIII by having certain amino acid strings in common with EGIII.
  • EGIII like cellulase comprises an enzyme having cellulolytic activity which comprises an amino acid sequence comprising therein an amino acid string selected from the group consisting of one or more of:
  • the enzyme of the invention further has significant structural and/or sequence homology to EGIII.
  • the enzyme has at least 30%, preferably at least 40% and most preferably at least 60% amino acid identity to EGIII.
  • homology alone is often not an appropriate measure for whether a particular enzyme identified by the methods described herein represents an EGIII- like enzyme. Accordingly, while homologous enzymes are indeed detected by the methods described and exemplified herein, the degree of homology should not be seen as limiting the scope of the invention.
  • the EGIII-Iike cellulases of the invention may be found in many organisms which produce cellulases.
  • likely sources of EGIII-Iike cellulase include those derived from a bacterial or fungal sources, and more particularly, from an Actinomycete, a Bacillus or a filamentous fungus.
  • the cellulase is derived from the filamentous fungal family Metazoa, preferably Euascomycetes.
  • fungal phylogenetic classifications which produce EGIII-Iike cellulases include the mitosporic Pyrenomycetes (including Acremonium), Sordariales (including Thielavia), Hypocreales (including Nectriaceae such as Fusarium, Necitia, Verticillium, Myrothecium and Gliocladium; and Hypocrea) and Eurotiales (including mitosporic Trichocomaceae such as Aspergillus and Penicillium).
  • the Euascomycete preferably belongs to Diaporthales, Halosphaeriales, Microascaies, Ophiostomatales, Phyllachorales, Sordariales or Xylariales. Also preferably, the Eusacomycete belongs to Hypocreales comprising Clavicipitaceae, Melanosporaceae, Nectriaceae, Niessliaceae or Mitosporic Hypocreales. Further preferably, the Euascomycete belongs to Hypocreaceae, wherein said Hypocreaceae does not comprise Trichoderma. Most preferably, the Euascomycete is Gliocladium spp., Fusarium spp., Acremonium spp., Myceliophtora spp.,
  • Verticillium spp. Myrothecium spp., Penicillium spp., Chaetomium spp., Emercella spp., and Phanerochaete spp.
  • Specific organisms which are contemplated as possessing EGIII-Iike cellulases include Chaetomium thermophilum var. therm., Chaetomium atrobrunneum, Chaetomium brasiliense. Chaetomium globosum, Chaetomium vitellium, Paecilomyces lilacinus, Chaetomium thermophilum var.
  • EGIII-Iike cellulases may be obtained according to the following methods.
  • DNA primers are constructed which encode an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of one or more of:
  • the EGIII of the invention may be obtained by methods conventional in molecular biology, e g , PCR cloning, using one of the cellulase backbones identified herein as an EGIII like cellulase
  • degenerate primers are prepared corresponding to one or more of the above peptides
  • the peptides are combined with a genomic DNA from a target organism (i e , the organism in which the EGIII-Iike cellulase is sought) under conditions suitable to initiate a standard PCR reaction
  • a target organism i e , the organism in which the EGIII-Iike cellulase is sought
  • the resulting DNA is run on a polyacrylamide gel and bands corresponding in size to the EGIII fragment comprising peptides (a) and/or (d) in addition to (c) and/or (e), i e , those in the 400-1000 base pair range, are selected out
  • These fragments are pooled and reamp fied using primers corresponding to
  • DNA from a particular target source is fragmented by digestion with a restriction enzyme(s), e g , EcoR I, Hind III, Bam HI, Cla I, Kpn I, Mlu I, Spe I, Bgl II, Nco I, Xba I, Xho I and Xma I (supplied by New England Biolabs, Inc , Beverly, MA and Boeh ⁇ nger Mannheim) according to the manufacturer's instructions
  • the samples are then electrophoresed through an agarose gel (such as, for example 0 7% agarose) so that separation of DNA fragments can be visualized by size.
  • the gel may be briefly rinsed in distilled H 2 O and subsequently depurinated in an appropriate solution (such as, for example, 0.25M HCI) with gentle shaking followed by denaturation for 30 minutes (in, for example, 0.4 M NaOH).
  • an appropriate solution such as, for example, 0.25M HCI
  • denaturation for 30 minutes in, for example, 0.4 M NaOH.
  • a renaturation step may be included in which the gel is placed in 1.5 M NaCl, IM Tris, pH 7.0 with gentle shaking for 30 minutes.
  • the DNA should then be transferred onto an appropriate positively charged membrane, for example the Maximum Strength Nytran Plus membrane (Schleicher & Schuell, Keene, N.H.), using a transfer solution (such as, for example, 6XSSC (900 mM NaCl, 90 mM trisodium citrate).
  • a DNA probe corresponding to the peptide sequences above should be isolated by electrophoresis in an agarose gel, the fragment excised from the gel and recovered from the excised agarose. This purified fragment of DNA is then labeled (using, for example, the Megaprime labeling system according to the instructions of the manufacturer to incorporate P 32 in the DNA (Amersham International pic, Buckinghamshire, England)). The labeled probe is denatured by heating to 95° C for 5 minutes and immediately added to the prehybridization solution above containing the membrane. The hybridization reaction should proceed for an appropriate time and under appropriate conditions, for example, for 18 hours at
  • Low-stringency conditions as defined herein will comprise washing a filter from a Southern Blot with a solution of 0.2X SSC/0.1 % SDS at 20° C for 15 minutes.
  • Standard-stringency conditions comprise a further washing step comprising washing the filter from the Southern Blot a second time with a solution of 0 2X SSC/0 1% SDS at 37 * C for 30 minutes
  • a corresponding EGIII encoding gene may be isolated by routine methods and used to express the corresponding EGIII-Iike cellulase according to routine techniques
  • a preferred cloning procedure comprises the rapid amplification of genomic DNA ends described in, e g , Mizobuchi et al , BioTechniques, Vol 15, No 2, pp 215-216 (1993)
  • routine methods for insertion of the DNA into a vector which can then be transformed into a suitable host cell are used Cultu ⁇ ng the transformed host cell under appropriate conditions then results in production of the EGIII-Iike cellulase which can be obtained, purified and prepared as necessary for a particular application
  • the EGIII-Iike cellulases of the invention are preferably isolated or purified
  • purification or isolation generally means that the EGIII-Iike cellulase is altered from its natural state by virtue of separating the EGIII-Iike cellulase from some or all of the naturally occurring substituents with which it is associated in nature, e g , the source organism or other cellulases or enzymes expressed by the source organism in conjunction with the EGIII cellulase
  • the EGIII-Iike cellulases of the invention may be combined with other components which are not naturally present in the natural state Isolation of purification may be accomplished by art recognized separation techniques such as ion exchange chromatography, affinity chromatography, hydrophobic separation, dialysis, protease treatment, ammonium sulphate precipitation or other protein salt precipitation techniques, cent ⁇ fugation, size exclusion chromatography, filtration, microfiltration, gel electrophoresis or separation on a gradient to remove whole cells, cell debris
  • a residue in an EGIII-Iike cellulase which is "corresponding" or ' equivalent” to a residue present in EGIII means a residue which exists in an equivalent position to that in EGIII, as indicated by primary sequence homology, tertiary structural homology (as shown by, i e , crystal structure or computer modeling) or functional equivalence
  • a variant EGIII-Iike cellulase has an ammo acid sequence which is derived from the ammo acid sequence of a precursor EGIII-Iike cellulase
  • the precursor cellulases include naturally occurring cellulases and recombmant cellulases (as defined herein).
  • the amino acid sequence of the EGIII-Iike cellulase variant is derived from the precursor EGIII-Iike cellulase amino acid sequence by the substitution, deletion or insertion of one or more amino acids of the precursor amino acid sequence.
  • Such modification is of the precursor DNA sequence which encodes the amino acid sequence of the precursor cellulase rather than manipulation of the precursor cellulase enzyme perse. Suitable methods for such manipulation of the precursor DNA sequence include methods disclosed herein and in commonly owned US patent 4,760,025 and 5,185,258. Specific residues corresponding to the positions which are responsible for instability in the presence of surfactant are identified herein for substitution or deletion.
  • the amino acid position number (i.e., +11) refers to the number assigned to the mature Trichoderma reesei EGIII sequence presented in Fig. 1.
  • the invention is directed to the mutation of EGIII-Iike cellulases which contain amino acid residues at positions which are equivalent to the particular identified residue in Trichoderma reesei EGIII.
  • a residue (amino acid) of a precursor cellulase is equivalent to a residue of Trichoderma reesei EGIII if it is either homologous (i.e., corresponding in position in either primary or tertiary structure) or is functionally analogous to a specific residue or portion of that residue in Trichoderma reesei EGIII (i.e., having the same or similar functional capacity to combine, react, or interact chemically or structurally).
  • “Surfactant” means any compound generally recognized in the art as having surface active qualities. Thus, for example, surfactants comprise anionic, cationic and nonionic surfactants such as those commonly found in detergents.
  • Cationic surfactants and long-chain fatty acid salts include saturated or unsaturated fatty acid salts, alkyl or alkenyl ether carboxylic acid salts, ⁇ -sulfofatty acid salts or esters, amino acid-type surfactants, phosphate ester surfactants, quaternary ammonium salts including those having 3 to 4 alkyl substituents and up to 1 phenyl substituted alkyl substituents.
  • Examples of cationic surfactants and long-chain fatty acid salts are disclosed in British Patent Application No. 2 094 826 A, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
  • the composition may contain from about 1 to about 20 weight percent of such cationic surfactants and long-chain fatty acid salts.
  • Anionic surfactants include linear or branched alkylbenzenesulfonates; alkyl or alkenyl ether sulfates having linear or branched alkyl groups or alkenyl groups; alkyl or alkenyl sulfates; olefinsulfonates; and alkanesulfonates.
  • Suitable counter ions for anionic surfactants include alkali metal ions such as sodium and potassium; alkaline earth metal ions such as calcium and magnesium, ammonium ion, and alkanolamines having 1 to 3 alkanol groups of carbon number 2 or 3
  • Ampholytic surfactants include quaternary ammonium salt sulfonates, and betaine-type ampholytic surfactants Such ampholytic surfactants have both the positive and negative charged groups in the same molecule
  • Nonionic surfactants may comprise polyoxyalkylene ethers, as well as higher fatty acid alkanolamides or alkylene oxide adduct thereof, fatty acid glycerine monoesters, and the like Examples of surfactants for use in this invention are disclosed in British Patent Application No 2 094 826 A, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference Mixtures of such surfactants can also be used "Cellulose containing fabric" means any sewn or unsewn fabrics, yarns or fibers made of cotton
  • Cotton-containing fabric means sewn or unsewn fabrics, yarns or fibers made of pure cotton or cotton blends including cotton woven fabrics, cotton knits cotton denims, cotton yarns raw cotton and the like
  • the amount of cotton in the fabric is preferably at least about 35 percent by weight cotton
  • the companion material employed in the fabric can include one or more non-cotton fibers including cellulosic or synthetic fibers such as poiyamide fibers (for example nylon 6 and nylon 66), acrylic fibers (for example, polyacrylonit ⁇ le fibers) and polyester fibers (for example polyethylene terephthalate), polyvinyl alcohol fibers (for example Vinylon) polyvmyl chloride fibers, polyviny dene chloride fibers polyurethane fibers, polyurea fibers and aramid fibers
  • Stonewashmg composition means a formulation for use in stonewashmg cellulose containing fabrics Stonewashmg compositions are used to modify cellulose containing fabrics prior to presentation for consumer sale, i e , during the manufactu ⁇ ng process In contrast, detergent compositions are intended for the cleaning of soiled garments
  • Stonewashmg means the treatment of cellulose containing fabric with a cellulase solution under agitating and cascading conditions, i e , in a rotary drum washing machine, to impart a "stonewashed” appearance to the denim
  • the cellulase solution according to the instant invention will functionally replace the use of stones in such art recognized methods, either completely or partially Methods for imparting a stonewashed appearance to denim are described in U S Patent No 4,832,864 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety Generally, stonewashmg techniques have been applied to indigo dyed cotton denim
  • Detergent composition means a mixture which is intended for use in a wash medium for the laundering of soiled cellulose containing fabrics
  • such compositions may include, in addition to cellulases and surfactants, additional hydrolytic enzymes, builders, bleaching agents, bleach activators, bluing agents and fluorescent dyes, caking inhibitors, masking agents, cellulase activators, antioxidants, and solubilizers
  • Such compositions are generally used for cleaning soiled garments and are not used during the manufacturing process, in contrast to stonewashmg compositions
  • Detergent compositions comprising cellulase are described in, for example, Clarkson et al , U S Patent No 5,290,474 and EP Publication No 271 004 incorporated herein by reference
  • Variant means a protein which is derived from a precursor protein (e g , the native protein) by addition of one or more am o acids to either or both the C- and N-terminal end, substitution of one or more ammo acids at one or a number of different sites in the ammo acid sequence, deletion of one or more ammo acids at either or both ends of the protein or at one or more sites in the ammo acid sequence, or insertion of one or more ammo acids at one or more sites in the ammo acid sequence
  • the preparation of an enzyme variant is preferably achieved by modifying a DNA sequence which encodes for the native protein, transformation of that DNA sequence into a suitable host, and expression of the modified DNA sequence to form the derivative enzyme
  • the variant EGIII-Iike enzyme of the invention includes peptides comprising altered ammo acid sequences in comparison with a precursor enzyme ammo acid sequence wherein the variant EGIII-Iike enzyme retains the characteristic cellulolytic nature of the precursor enzyme but which may have altered properties in some specific aspect
  • “Expression vector” means a DNA construct comprising a DNA sequence which is operably linked to a suitable control sequence capable of effecting the expression of the DNA in a suitable host
  • control sequences may include a promoter to effect transcription, an optional operator sequence to control transcription, a sequence encoding suitable nbosome-binding sites on the mRNA, and sequences which control termination of transcription and translation
  • a preferred promoter for vectors used in Bacillus subti s is the AprE promoter
  • a preferred promoter used in £ coll is the Lac promoter
  • a preferred promoter used in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is PGK1
  • a preferred promoter used in Aspergillus niger is glaA
  • a preferred promoter for Tnchoderma reesei is cbhl
  • the vector may be a plasmid, a phage particle, or simply a potential genomic insert Once transformed into a suitable host, the vector may replicate and function independently of the host genome
  • Expression techniques using the expression vectors of the present invention are known in the art and are described generally in, for example, Sambrook et al., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Second Edition, Cold Spring Harbor Press (1989). Often, such expression vectors including the DNA sequences of the invention are transformed into a unicellular host by direct insertion into the genome of a particular species through an integration event (see e.g., Bennett & Lasure, More Gene Manipulations in Fungi, Academic Press, San Diego, pp. 70-76 (1991) and articles cited therein describing targeted genomic insertion in fungal hosts, incorporated herein by reference).
  • “Host strain” or “host cell” means a suitable host for an expression vector comprising DNA according to the present invention.
  • Host cells useful in the present invention are generally procaryotic or eucaryotic hosts, including any transformable microorganism in which expression can be achieved. Specifically, host strains may be Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Trichoderma reesei, Saccharomyces cerevisiae or Aspergillus niger.
  • Host cells are transformed or transfected with vectors constructed using recombinant DNA techniques. Such transformed host cells are capable of both replicating vectors encoding the variant EGIII-Iike enzymes or expressing the desired peptide product.
  • "host cell” means both the cells and protoplasts created from the cells of Trichoderma sp.
  • Signal sequence means a sequence of amino acids bound to the N- terminal portion of a protein which facilitates the secretion of the mature form of the protein outside of the cell. This definition of a signal sequence is a functional one. The mature form of the extracellular protein lacks the signal sequence which is cleaved off during the secretion process.
  • DNA vector means a nucleotide sequence which comprises one or more DNA fragments or DNA variant fragments encoding an EGIII-Iike cellulase or variants described above which can be used, upon transformation into an appropriate host cell, to cause expression of the variant EGIII-Iike cellulase.
  • "Functionally attached to” means that a regulatory region, such as a promoter, terminator, secretion signal or enhancer region is attached to a structural gene and controls the expression of that gene.
  • the present invention relates to the expression, purification and/or isolation and use of variant EGIII-Iike cellulases
  • enzymes are preferably prepared by recombinant methods utilizing the gene identified and isolated according to the methods described above
  • enzymes for use in the present invention may be obtained by other art recognized means such as purification from natural isolates
  • a preferred mode for preparing EGIII-Iike cellulases according to the present invention comprises transforming a Tnchoderma sp host cell with a DNA construct comprising at least a fragment of DNA encoding a portion or all of the EGIII-Iike cellulase detected as described above
  • the DNA construct will generally be functionally attached to a promoter
  • the transformed host cell is then grown under conditions so as to express the desired protein Subsequently, the desired protein product is purified to substantial homogeneity
  • the best expression vehicle for a given DNA encoding a variant EGIII-Iike cellulase may differ
  • the present description of a Tnchoderma spp expression system is provided for illustrative purposes only and as one option for expressing the variant EGIII-Iike cellulase of the invention
  • One of skill in the art may be inclined to express the DNA encoding variant EGIII-Iike cellulase in a different host cell if appropriate and it should be understood that the source of the variant EGIII-Iike cellulase should be considered in determining the optimal expression host
  • the skilled worker in the field will be capable of selecting the best expression system for a particular gene through routine techniques utilizing the tools available in the art
  • the strain comprises T reesei (long
  • strain QM9414 ATCC No. 26921. It is contemplated that these strains would also be useful in overexpressing EGIII-Iike cellulases. Where it is desired to obtain the EGIII-Iike cellulase in the absence of potentially detrimental native cellulolytic activity, it is useful to obtain a Trichoderma host cell strain which has had one or more cellulase genes deleted prior to introduction of a DNA construct or plasmid containing the DNA fragment encoding the EGIII-Iike cellulase. Such strains may be prepared by the method disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,246,853 and WO 92/06209, which disclosures are hereby incorporated by reference.
  • any gene from Trichoderma sp. which has been cloned can be deleted, for example, the cbhl, cbh2, egll, and egl3 genes as well as those encoding EGIII and/or EGV protein (see e.g., U.S. Patent No. 5,475,101 and WO 94/28117, respectively).
  • Gene deletion may be accomplished by inserting a form of the desired gene to be deleted or disrupted into a plasmid by methods known in the art.
  • the deletion plasmid is then cut at an appropriate restriction enzyme site(s), internal to the desired gene coding region, and the gene coding sequence or part thereof replaced with a selectable marker. Flanking DNA sequences from the locus of the gene to be deleted or disrupted, preferably between about 0.5 to 2.0 kb, remain on either side of the selectable marker gene.
  • An appropriate deletion plasmid will generally have unique restriction enzyme sites present therein to enable the fragment containing the deleted gene, including flanking DNA sequences, and the selectable marker gene to be removed as a single linear piece.
  • a selectable marker must be chosen so as to enable detection of the transformed fungus. Any selectable marker gene which is expressed in the selected microorganism will be suitable.
  • the selectable marker is chosen so that the presence of the selectable marker in the transformants will not significantly affect the properties thereof.
  • a selectable marker may be a gene which encodes an assayable product.
  • a functional copy of a Trichoderma sp. gene may be used which if lacking in the host strain results in the host strain displaying an auxotrophic phenotype.
  • a pyr4 ⁇ derivative strain of Trichoderma sp. is transformed with a functional pyr4 gene, which thus provides a selectable marker for transformation.
  • a pyr4 ⁇ derivative strain may be obtained by selection of Trichoderma sp. strains which are resistant to fluoroorotic acid (FOA).
  • the pyr4 gene encodes orotidine-5'-monophosphate decarboxylase, an enzyme required for the biosynthesis of uridine. Strains with an intact pyr4 gene grow in a medium lacking uridine but are sensitive to fluoroorotic acid.
  • a single DNA fragment comprising a disrupted or deleted cellulase gene is then isolated from the deletion plasmid and used to transform an appropriate pyf Trichoderma host. Transformants are then identified and selected based on their ability to express the pyr4 gene product and thus compliment the uridine auxotrophy of the host strain. Southern blot analysis is then carried out on the resultant transformants to identify and confirm a double crossover integration event which replaces part or all of the coding region of the genomic copy of the gene to be deleted with the pyr4 selectable markers.
  • the present invention is not limited to these vectors.
  • Various genes can be deleted and replaced in the Trichoderma sp. strain using the above techniques.
  • any available selectable markers can be used, as discussed above.
  • any Trichoderma sp. gene which has been cloned, and thus identified, can be deleted from the genome using the above-described strategy.
  • the host strains used are derivatives of Trichoderma sp. which lack or have a nonfunctional gene or genes corresponding to the selectable marker chosen.
  • the selectable marker of pyr4 is chosen, then a specific pyr4 ⁇ derivative strain is used as a recipient in the transformation procedure.
  • selectable markers comprising Trichoderma sp. genes equivalent to the Aspergillus nidulans genes amdS, argB, trpC, niaD may be used.
  • the corresponding recipient strain must therefore be a derivative strain such as argB ' , trpC, niaD ' , respectively.
  • DNA encoding the EGIII-Iike cellulase is then prepared for insertion into an appropriate microorganism.
  • DNA encoding a EGIII-Iike cellulase comprises all of the DNA necessary to encode for a protein which has functional cellulolytic activity.
  • the DNA fragment or DNA variant fragment encoding the EGIII-Iike cellulase or derivative may be functionally attached to a fungal promoter sequence, for example, the promoter of the cbhl or egll gene.
  • DNA encoding the EGIII-Iike cellulase may be prepared by the construction of an expression vector carrying the DNA encoding the cellulase.
  • the expression vector carrying the inserted DNA fragment encoding the EGIII-Iike cellulase may be any vector which is capable of replicating autonomously in a given host organism or of integrating into the DNA of the host, typically a plasmid. In preferred embodiments two types of expression vectors for obtaining expression of genes are contemplated.
  • the first contains DNA sequences in which the promoter, gene coding region, and terminator sequence all originate from the gene to be expressed. Gene truncation may be obtained where desired by deleting away undesired DNA sequences (e.g., coding for unwanted domains) to leave the domain to be expressed under control of its own transcriptional and translational regulatory sequences. A selectable marker is also contained on the vector allowing the selection for integration into the host of multiple copies of the novel gene sequences.
  • the second type of expression vector is preassembled and contains sequences required for high level transcription and a selectable marker. It is contemplated that the coding region for a gene or part thereof can be inserted into this general purpose expression vector such that it is under the transcriptional control of the expression cassettes promoter and terminator sequences. For example, pTEX is such a general purpose expression vector. Genes or part thereof can be inserted downstream of the strong cbh ⁇ promoter.
  • the DNA sequence encoding the EGIII-Iike cellulase of the present invention should be operably linked to transcriptional and translational sequences, i.e., a suitable promoter sequence and signal sequence in reading frame to the structural gene.
  • the promoter may be any DNA sequence which shows transcriptional activity in the host cell and may be derived from genes encoding proteins either homologous or heterologous to the host cell
  • the signal peptide provides for extracellular production of the EGIII-Iike cellulase or derivatives thereof.
  • the DNA encoding the signal sequence is preferably that which is naturally associated with the gene to be expressed, however the signal sequence from any suitable source, for example an exo-cellobiohydrolase or endoglucanase from Trichoderma, is contemplated in the present invention
  • the DNA vector or construct described above may be introduced in the host cell in accordance with known techniques such as transformation, transfection, microinjection, microporation, biolistic bombardment and the like
  • Tnchoderma sp the permeability of the cell wall to DNA in Tnchoderma sp is very low Accordingly, uptake of the desired DNA sequence, gene or gene fragment is at best minimal
  • the preferred method in the present invention to prepare Tnchoderma sp for transformation involves the preparation of protoplasts from fungal mycelium The mycelium can be obtained from germinated vegetative spores The mycelium is treated with an enzyme which digests the cell wall resulting in protoplasts The protoplasts are then protected by the presence of an osmotic stabilizer in the suspending medium.
  • These stabilizers include sorbitol, mannitol, potassium chloride, magnesium sulfate and the like. Usually the concentration of these stabilizers varies between 0 8 M to 1 2 M It is preferable to use about a 1 2 M solution of sorbitol in the suspension medium
  • Uptake of the DNA into the host Tnchoderma sp strain is dependent upon the calcium ion concentration Generally between about 10 mM CaCI 2 and 50 mM CaCI 2 is used in an uptake solution Besides the need for the calcium ion in the uptake solution, other items generally included are a buffering system such as TE buffer (10 Mm Tris, pH 7 4, 1 mM EDTA) or 10 mM MOPS, pH 6 0 buffer (morpholmepropanesulfonic acid) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) It is believed that the polyethylene glycol acts to fuse the cell membranes thus permitting the contents of the medium to be delivered into the cytoplasm of the Trichoderma sp. strain and the plasmid DNA is transferred to the nucleus. This fusion frequently leaves multiple copies of the plasmid DNA tenderly integrated into the host chromosome.
  • TE buffer 10 Mm Tris, pH 7 4, 1 mM EDTA
  • MOPS pH 6 0 buffer (morpholmepropanesul
  • a suspension containing the Trichoderma sp. protoplasts or cells that have been subjected to a permeability treatment at a density of 10 8 to 10 9 /ml, preferably 2 x 10 8 /ml are used in transformation.
  • a volume of 100 microliters of these protoplasts or cells in an appropriate solution e.g., 1.2 M sorbitol; 50 mM CaCI 2
  • an appropriate solution e.g., 1.2 M sorbitol; 50 mM CaCI 2
  • PEG a high concentration of PEG is added to the uptake solution.
  • From 0.1 to 1 volume of 25% PEG 4000 can be added to the protoplast suspension. However, it is preferable to add about 0.25 volumes to the protoplast suspension.
  • Additives such as dimethyl sulfoxide, heparin, spermidine, potassium chloride and the like may also be added to the uptake solution and aid in transformation.
  • the mixture is then incubated at approximately 0°C for a period of between 10 to 30 minutes. Additional PEG is then added to the mixture to further enhance the uptake of the desired gene or DNA sequence.
  • the 25% PEG 4000 is generally added in volumes of 5 to 15 times the volume of the transformation mixture; however, greater and lesser volumes may be suitable.
  • the 25% PEG 4000 is preferably about 10 times the volume of the transformation mixture.
  • the transformation mixture is then incubated at room temperature before the addition of a sorbitol and CaCI 2 solution.
  • the protoplast suspension is then further added to molten aliquots of a growth medium. This growth medium permits the growth of transformants only. Any growth medium can be used in the present invention that is suitable to grow the desired transformants. However, if Pyr + transformants are being selected it is preferable to use a growth medium that contains no uridine. The subsequent colonies are transferred and purified on a growth medium depleted of uridine.
  • stable transformants may be distinguished from unstable transformants by their faster growth rate and the formation of circular colonies with a smooth, rather than ragged outline on solid culture medium lacking uridine.
  • a further test of stability may made by growing the transformants on solid non-selective medium (i.e. containing uridine), harvesting spores from this culture medium and determining the percentage of these spores which will subsequently germinate and grow on selective medium lacking uridine.
  • solid non-selective medium i.e. containing uridine
  • the EGIII-Iike cellulases or derivatives thereof are recovered in active form from the host cell after growth in liquid media either as a result of the appropriate post translational processing of the novel EGIII-Iike cellulase or derivatives thereof.
  • the expressed EGIII-Iike cellulase may be recovered from the medium by conventional techniques including separations of the cells from the medium by centrifugation, filtration, and precipitation of the proteins in the supernatant or filtrate with a salt, for example, ammonium sulphate. Additionally, chromatography procedures such as ion exchange chromatography or affinity chromatography may be used. Antibodies (polyclonal or monoclonal) may be raised against the natural purified EGIII-Iike cellulase, or synthetic peptides may be prepared from portions of the EGIII-Iike cellulase molecule and used to raise polyclonal antibodies.
  • Treatment of textiles according to the present invention contemplates textile processing or cleaning with a composition comprising a cellulase.
  • Such treating includes, but is not limited to, stonewashing, modifying the texture, feel and/or appearance of cellulose containing fabrics or other techniques used during manufacturing or cleaning/reconditioning of cellulose containing fabrics.
  • treating within the context of this invention contemplates the removal of "immature” or "dead” cotton, from cellulosic fabric or fibers. Immature cotton is significantly more amorphous than mature cotton and results in a lesser quality fabric when present due to, for example, uneven dyeing.
  • the composition contemplated in the present invention further includes a cellulase component for use in washing of a soiled manufactured cellulose containing fabric.
  • the cellulase may be used in a detergent composition for washing laundry.
  • Detergent compositions useful in accordance with the present invention include special formulations such as pre-wash, pre-soak and home-use color restoration compositions.
  • Such treating compositions, as described herein, may be in the form of a concentrate which requires dilution or in the form of a dilute solution or form which can be applied directly to the cellulose containing fabric.
  • General treatment techniques for cellulase treatment of textiles are described in, for example, EP Publication No. 220 016 and GB Application Nos. 1 ,368,599 and 2,095,275.
  • Treatment of a cellulosic material according to the present invention further contemplates the treatment of animal feed, pulp and/or paper, food and grain for purposes known in the art.
  • cellulase is known to increase the value of animal feed, improve the drainability of wood pulp, enhance food products and reduce fiber in grain during the grain wet milling process or dry milling process.
  • Treating according to the instant invention comprises preparing an aqueous solution which contains an effective amount of cellulase together with other optional ingredients including, for example, a buffer, a surfactant, and/or a scouring agent.
  • An effective amount of cellulase enzyme composition is a concentration of cellulase enzyme sufficient for its intended purpose.
  • an "effective amount" of cellulase in a stonewashing composition according to the present invention is that amount which will provide the desired effect, e.g., to produce a worn and faded look in the seams and on fabric panels.
  • an "effective amount" of cellulase in a composition intended for improving the feel and/or appearance of a cellulose containing fabric is that amount which will produce measurable improvements in the feel, e.g., improving the smoothness of the fabric, or appearance, e.g., removing pills and fibrils which tend to reduce the sharpness in appearance of a fabric.
  • the amount of cellulase employed is also dependent on the equipment employed, the process parameters employed (the temperature of the cellulase treatment solution, the exposure time to the cellulase solution, and the like), and the cellulase activity (e.g., a particular solution will require a lower concentration of cellulase where a more active cellulase composition is used as compared to a less active cellulase composition).
  • concentration of cellulase in the aqueous treatment solution to which the fabric to be treated is added can be readily determined by the skilled artisan based on the above factors as well as the desired result.
  • the cellulase be present in the aqueous treating solution in a concentration of from about 0.5 to 5,000 ppm and most preferably about 10 to 200 ppm total protein.
  • the cellulase be present in the aqueous treating solution in a concentration of from about 0.1 to 2000 ppm and most preferably about 0.5 to 200 ppm total protein.
  • a buffer is employed in the treating composition such that the concentration of buffer is sufficient to maintain the pH of the solution within the range wherein the employed cellulase exhibits activity which, in turn, depends on the nature of the cellulase employed.
  • concentration of buffer employed will depend on several factors which the skilled artisan can readily take into account.
  • the buffer as well as the buffer concentration are selected so as to mamtain the pH of the final cellulase solution within the pH range required for optimal cellulase activity
  • the determination of the optimal pH range of the cellulases of the invention can be ascertained according to well known techniques Suitable buffers at pH within the activity range of the cellulase are well known to those skilled in the art in the field
  • the treating composition may optionally contain a surfactant Suitable surfactants include any surfactant compatible with the cellulase and the fabric including, for example, anionic, non-ionic and ampholytic surfactants Suitable anionic surfactants for use herein include linear or branched alkylbenzenesulfonat.es, alkyl or alkenyl ether sulfates having linear or branched alkyl groups or alkenyl groups, alkyl or alkenyl sulfates, olefms
  • a concentrated cellulase composition can be prepared for use in the methods described herein
  • Such concentrates contain concentrated amounts of the cellulase composition described above, buffer and surfactant preferably in an aqueous solution
  • the cellulase concentrate can readily be diluted with water so as to quickly and accurately prepare cellulase preparations having the requisite concentration of each constituent
  • these concentrates can be diluted so as to arrive at the requisite concentration of the components in the cellulase solution as indicated above
  • Such cellulase concentrates will permit facile formulation of the cellulase solutions as well as permit feasible transportation of the composition to the location where it will be used
  • the treating concentrate can be in any art recognized form, for example, liquid, emulsion, gel, or paste Such forms are well known to those skilled in the art
  • the cellulase composition may be a granule, a powder, an agglomerate or a solid disk.
  • the granules can be formulated so as to contain materials to reduce the rate of dissolution of the granules into the wash medium. Such materials and granules are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,254,283 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
  • cellulase composition of the present invention can also be used with or placed in the cellulase composition of the present invention as desired, including stones, pumice, fillers, solvents, enzyme activators, and anti-redeposition agents depending on the eventual use of the composition.
  • stonewashing methods will be described in detail, however, the parameters described are readily modified by the skilled artisan for other applications, i.e., improving the feel and/or appearance of a fabric.
  • the cellulose containing fabric is contacted with the cellulase containing stonewashing composition containing an effective amount of the cellulase by intermingling the treating composition with the stonewashing composition, and thus bringing the cellulase enzyme into proximity with the fabric.
  • the aqueous solution containing the cellulase and the fabric is agitated. If the treating composition is an aqueous solution, the fabric may be directly soaked in the solution.
  • the stonewashing composition is a concentrate, the concentrate is diluted into a water bath with the cellulose containing fabric.
  • the stonewashing composition may be contacted by directly applying the composition to the fabric or to the wash liquor.
  • the cellulose containing fabric is incubated with the stonewashing solution under conditions effective to allow the enzymatic action to confer a stonewashed appearance to the cellulose containing fabric.
  • the pH, liquor ratio, temperature and reaction time may be adjusted to optimize the conditions under which the stonewashing composition acts.
  • Effective conditions necessarily refers to the pH, liquor ratio, and temperature which allow the cellulase enzyme to react efficiently with cellulose containing fabric, in this case to produce the stonewashed effect.
  • the reaction conditions effective for the stonewashing compositions of the present invention are substantially similar to well known methods used with corresponding prior art cellulase compositions. Accordingly, it is within the skill of those in the art to maximize conditions for using the stonewashing compositions according to the present invention.
  • the liquor ratios during stonewashing i.e., the ratio of weight of stonewashing composition solution (i.e., the wash liquor) to the weight of fabric, employed herein is generally an amount sufficient to achieve the desired stonewashing effect in the denim fabric and is dependent upon the process used.
  • the liquor ratios are from about 4:1 to about 50:1 ; more preferably from about 5: 1 to about 20: 1 , and most preferably from about 10:1 to about 15: 1.
  • Reaction temperatures during stonewashing with the present stonewashing compositions are governed by two competing factors. Firstly, higher temperatures generally correspond to enhanced reaction kinetics, i.e., faster reactions, which permit reduced reaction times as compared to reaction times required at lower temperatures. Accordingly, reaction temperatures are generally at least about 10°C and greater.
  • cellulase is a protein which loses activity beyond a given reaction temperature, which temperature is dependent on the nature of the cellulase used. Thus, if the reaction temperature is permitted to go too high, the cellulolytic activity is lost as a result of the denaturing of the cellulase.
  • reaction times are dependent on the specific conditions under which the stonewashing occurs. For example, pH, temperature and concentration of cellulase will all effect the optimal reaction time. Generally, reaction times are from abour ⁇ minutes to about 5 hours, and preferably from about 10 minutes to about 3 hours and, more preferably, from about 20 minutes to about 1 hour.
  • the cellulase of the invention may be employed in a detergent composition.
  • the detergent compositions according to the present invention are useful as pre-wash compositions, pre-soak compositions, or for cleaning during the regular wash or rinse cycle.
  • the detergent composition of the present invention comprises an effective amount of cellulase, a surfactant, and optionally includes other ingredients described below.
  • An effective amount of cellulase employed in the detergent compositions of this invention is an amount sufficient to impart the desirable effects known to be produced by cellulase on cellulose containing fabrics, for example, depilling, softening, anti-pilling, surface fiber removal, anti-graying and cleaning.
  • the cellulase in the detergent composition is employed in a concentration of from about 10 ppm to about 20,000 ppm of detergent.
  • the concentration of cellulase enzyme employed in the detergent composition is preferably selected so that upon dilution into a wash medium, the concentration of cellulase enzyme is in a range of about 0.01 to about 1000 ppm, preferably from about 0.02 ppm to about 500 ppm, and most preferably from about 0.5 ppm to about 250 ppm total protein.
  • the amount of cellulase enzyme employed in the detergent composition will depend on the extent to which the detergent will be diluted upon addition to water so as to form a wash solution.
  • the detergent compositions of the present invention may be in any art recognized form, for example, as a liquid, in granules, in emulsions, in gels, or in pastes. Such forms are well known to the skilled artisan.
  • the cellulase is preferably formulated as granules.
  • the granules can be formulated so as to additionally contain a cellulase protecting agent.
  • the granule can be formulated so as to contain materials to reduce the rate of dissolution of the granule into the wash medium.
  • materials and granules are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,254,283 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
  • the detergent compositions of this invention employ a surface active agent, i.e., surfactant, including anionic, non-ionic and ampholytic surfactants well known for their use in detergent compositions.
  • a surface active agent i.e., surfactant, including anionic, non-ionic and ampholytic surfactants well known for their use in detergent compositions.
  • the detergent compositions of this invention can optionally contain one or more of the following components:
  • Suitable hydrolases include carboxylate ester hydrolase, thioester hydrolase, phosphate monoester hydrolase, and phosphate diester hydrolase which act on the ester bond; glycoside hydrolase which acts on glycosyl compounds; an enzyme that hydrolyzes N-glycosyl compounds; thioether hydrolase which acts on the ether bond; and a-amino-acyl-peptide hydrolase, peptidyl-amino acid hydrolase, acyl- amino acid hydrolase, dipeptide hydrolase, and peptidyl-peptide hydrolase which act on the peptide bond.
  • carboxylate ester hydrolase, glycoside hydrolase, and peptidyl-peptide hydrolase Preferable among them are carboxylate ester hydrolase, glycoside hydrolase, and peptidyl-peptide hydrolase.
  • Suitable hydrolases include (1) proteases belonging to peptidyl-peptide hydrolase such as pepsin, pepsin B, rennin, trypsin, chymotrypsin A, chymotrypsin B, elastase, enterokinase, cathepsin C, papain, chymopapain, ficin, thrombin, fibrinolysin, renin, subtilisin, aspergillopeptidase A, collagenase, clostridiopeptidase B, kallikrein, gastrisin, cathepsin D., bromelin, keratinase, chymotrypsin C, pepsin C, aspergillopeptidase B, urokinase, carboxypeptidase A and B, and aminopeptidase; (2) glycoside hydrolases (cellulase which is an essential ingredient is excluded from this group) - am
  • ⁇ -amyiase and ⁇ -amylase are ⁇ -amyiase and ⁇ -amylase. They function in acid to neutral systems, but one which is obtained from bacteria exhibits high activity in an alkaline system; (3) carboxylate ester hydrolase including carboxyl esterase, lipase, pectin esterase, and chlorophyllase. Especially effective among them is lipase.
  • the hydrolase other than cellulase is incorporated into the detergent composition as much as required according to the purpose. It should preferably be incorporated in an amount of 0.001 to 5 weight percent, and more preferably 0.02 to 3 weight percent, in terms of purified protein.
  • This enzyme should be used in the form of granules made of crude enzyme alone or in combination with other components in the detergent composition. Granules of crude enzyme are used in such an amount that the purified enzyme is 0.001 to 50 weight percent in the granules.
  • the granules are used in an amount of 0.002 to 20 and preferably 0.1 to 10 weight percent. As with cellulases, these granules can be formulated so as to contain an enzyme protecting agent and a dissolution retardant material.
  • the composition may contain from about 0 to about 50 weight percent of one or more builder components selected from the group consisting of alkali metal salts and alkanolamine salts of the following compounds: phosphates, phosphonates, phosphonocarboxylates, salts of amino acids, aminopolyacetates high molecular electrolytes, non-dissociating polymers, salts of dicarboxylic acids, and aluminosilicate salts.
  • Suitable divalent sequestering gents are disclosed in British Patent Application No. 2 094 826 A, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
  • the composition may contain from about 1 to about 50 weight percent, preferably from about 5 to about 30 weight percent, based on the composition of one or more alkali metal salts of the following compounds as the alkalis or inorganic electrolytes silicates, carbonates and sulfates as well as organic alkalis such as t ⁇ ethanolamine, diethanolamine, monoethanolamine and t ⁇ isopropanolamine
  • composition may contain from about 0 1 to about 5 weight percent of one or more of the following compounds as antiredeposition agents polyethylene glycol, polyvmyl alcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone and carboxymethylcellulose
  • a combination of carboxymethyl-cellulose and/or polyethylene glycol with the cellulase composition of the present invention provides for an especially useful dirt removing composition
  • cellulase of the present invention in combination with a bleaching agent such as potassium monopersulfate sodium percarbonate, sodium perborate, sodium sulfate/hydrogen peroxide adduct and sodium chloride/hydrogen peroxide adduct or/and a photo-sensitive bleaching dye such as zinc or aluminum salt of sulfonated phthalocyanine further improves the detergentmg effects
  • bleaching agents and bleach catalysts as described in EP 684 304 may be used
  • caking inhibitors may be incorporated in the powdery detergent p-toluenesulfonic acid salts, xylenesulfonic acid salts acetic acid salts, sulfosuccinic acid salts, talc, finely pulverized silica amorphous silicas, clay calcium silicate (such as Micro-Cell of Johns Manville Co.), calcium carbonate and magnesium oxide.
  • the cellulase composition of this invention are deactivated in some cases in the presence of copper, zinc, chromium, mercury, lead, manganese or silver ions or their compounds.
  • Various metal chelating agents and metal-precipitating agents are effective against these inhibitors. They include, for example, divalent metal ion sequestering agents as listed in the above item with reference to optional additives as well as magnesium silicate and magnesium sulfate.
  • Cellobiose, glucose and gluconolactone act sometimes as inhibitors. It is preferred to avoid the co-presence of these saccharides with the cellulase as far as possible. In case the co-presence in unavoidable, it is necessary to avoid the direct contact of the saccharides with the cellulase by, for example, coating them. Long-chain-fatty acid salts and cationic surfactants act as the inhibitors in some cases. However, the co-presence of these substances with the cellulase is allowable if the direct contact of them is prevented by some means such as tableting or coating.
  • the activators may vary depending on the specific cellulase. In the presence of proteins, cobalt and its salts, magnesium and its salts, and calciurrrand its salts, potassium and its salts, sodium and its salts or monosaccharides such as mannose and xylose, many cellulases are activated and their deterging powers are improved remarkably.
  • antioxidants include, for example, tert-butyl-hydroxytoluene, 4,4'- butylidenebis(6-tert-butyl-3-methylphenol), 2,2'-butylidenebis(6-tert-butyl-4- methylphenol), monostyrenated cresol, distyrenated cresol, monostyrenated phenol, distyrenated phenol and 1 ,1-bis(4-hydroxy-phenyl)cyclohexane.
  • the solubilizers include, for example, lower alcohols such as ethanol, benzenesulfonate salts, lower alkylbenzenesulfonate salts such as p- toluenesulfonate salts, glycols such as propylene glycol, acetylbenzene-sulfonate salts, acetamides, pyridinedicarboxylic acid amides, benzoate salts and urea.
  • the detergent composition of the present invention can be used in a broad pH range from acidic to alkaline pH.
  • the detergent composition of the present invention can be used in mildly acidic, neutral or alkaline detergent wash media having a pH of from above 5 to no more than about 12.
  • perfumes, -buffers, preservatives, dyes and the like can be used, if desired, with the detergent compositions of this invention.
  • Such components are conventionally employed in amounts heretofore used in the art.
  • a detergent base used in the present invention is in the form of a powder, it may be one which is prepared by any known preparation methods including a spray-drying method and a granulation method.
  • the detergent base obtained particularly by the spray-drying method, agglomeration method, dry mixing method or non-tower route methods are preferred.
  • the detergent base obtained by the spray-drying method is not restricted with respect to preparation conditions.
  • the detergent base obtained by the spray-drying method is hollow granules which are obtained by spraying an aqueous slurry of heat-resistant ingredients, such as surface active agents and builders, into a hot space. After the spray-drying, perfumes, enzymes, bleaching agents, inorganic alkaline builders may be added.
  • various ingredients may also be added after the preparation of the base.
  • the detergent base When the detergent base is a liquid, it may be either a homogeneous solution or an inhomogeneous dispersion.
  • carboxymethylcellulose For removing the decomposition of carboxymethylcellulose by the cellulase in the detergent, it is desirable that carboxymethylcellulose is granulated or coated before the incorporation in the composition.
  • the detergent compositions of this invention may be incubated with cellulose containing fabric, for example soiled fabrics, in industrial and household uses at temperatures, reaction times and liquor ratios conventionally employed in these environments.
  • the incubation conditions i.e., the conditions effective for treating cellulose containing fabrics with detergent compositions according to the present invention, will be readily ascertainable by those of ski!
  • the appropriate conditions effective for treatment with the present detergents will correspond to those using similar detergent compositions which include known cellulases
  • Detergents according to the present invention may additionally be formulated as a pre-wash in the appropriate solution at an intermediate pH where sufficient activity exists to provide desired improvements softening, depillmg, pilling prevention, surface fiber removal or cleaning
  • the detergent composition is a pre-soak (e.g , pre-wash or pre-treatment) composition, either as a liquid, spray, gel or paste composition
  • the cellulase enzyme is generally employed from about
  • a surfactant may optionally be employed and when employed, is generally present at a concentration of from about 0 005 to about 20 weight percent based on the total weight of the pre-soak
  • the remainder of the composition comprises conventional components used in the pre- soak, i e , diluent, buffers, other enzymes (proteases), and the like at their conventional concentrations
  • compositions comprising cellulase enzymes described herein can be used in home use as a stand alone composition suitable for restoring color to faded fabrics (see, for example, U S Patent No 4 738,682, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety) as well as used in a spot-remover and for depillmg and antipilling (pilling prevention)
  • cellulase according to the invention may be particularly effective in feed additives and in the processing of pulp and paper
  • additional industrial applications are described in, for example, PCT Publication No 95/16360 and Finnish Granted Patent No 87372, respectively
  • Genomic DNA was prepared for several different microorganisms for the purpose of undertaking a PCR reaction to determine whether EGIII-Iike cellulases are encoded by the DNA for a particular organism
  • Genomic DNA is obtained from Acremonium brachypenium deposit no CBS 866 73, Chaetomium brasillience deposit no CBS 140 50, Chaetomium vitellium deposit no CBS 250 85, Emencella desertoru deposit no CBS 653 73, Fusanum equiseti deposit no CBS 185 34, Gliocladium roseum deposit no CBS 443 65, Humicola gnsea var thermoidia deposit no CBS 225 63, Myceliopthora thermophila deposit no ATCC 48102-48104, Penicillium notatum deposit no ATCC 9178, 9179, and Phanerochaete chrysosponum deposit no ATCC 28326 and isolated according to standard methods
  • PCR was performed on a standard PCR machine such as the PCT-150 MicroCycler from MJ Research Inc under the following conditions
  • BOX2' primers coding for YELMIW forward primer
  • FRG011 TAY GAR YTI ATG ATH TGG reversed primer
  • FRG012 CCA DAT CAT IAR YTC RTA
  • 947) comprise a 100 microliter solution made of 10 microliter of 10X reaction buffer (10X reaction buffer comprising 100mM Tris HCI, pH 8-8.5; 250 mM KCI; 50 mM (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 ; 20 mM MgSO 4 ); 0.2 mM each of dATP, dTTP, dGTP, dCTP (final concentration), 1 microliter of 100 nanogram/microliter genomic DNA, 1 microliter of PWO at 1 unit per microliter, 500 mM primers (final concentration) and water to 100 microliters.
  • the solution is overlaid with mineral oil.
  • the PCR strategy was as follows: forward primers for BOX1 and BOX1' were combined with reversed primers from BOX3 in a mixture with the desired genomic DNA sample and run on a gel to obtain fragments in the 400-1000 base pair range. The obtained fragments were then pooled and the pool split into two approximately equal portions. The first pool was combined with the forward primers from BOX1 and BOX1' along with the reversed primer from BOX2. The second pool was combined with the forward primer from BOX2 along with the reversed primers from BOX3. Fragments having the approximate size relative to an EGIII-Iike cellulase considering the location of the primers within the gene, in this case corresponding to those between 250-500 base pairs, were isolated and sequenced.
  • Fig. 3 The isolated and partially sequenced DNA and the corresponding amino acid sequences (of approximately 100 residues) were analyzed to determine their relationship to EGIII. The results of this sequence alignment are shown in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 3, significant sequence homology exists between the peptides encoded by the obtained DNA fragments and corresponding peptide sequences from EGIII. The high homology and strong conservation of residues corresponding to peptides (a), (b), (c) and/or (d), as in EGIII, identify the genes as coding an EGIII- Iike cellulase from each of the organisms.
  • EGIII and an EGIII-Iike cellulase derived from Hypocrea schweinitzii were tested to determine their stability under temperature stress.
  • 0.3 mg/ml of enzyme was tested in 0.1 M MOPS, at pH 7.3, 48°C and the activity on oNPC measured and compared over time. The experiment was run two times. The natural log of the activity was plotted against time of incubation, and the rate constant for inactivation obtained from the slope of the straight line. Results for various mutants are provided in Table 1.
  • EGIII was compared to a homologous enzyme derived from from Hypocrea schweinitzii.
  • the amino acid sequence of the enzyme from Hypocrea schweinitzii is provided in Fig. 3 in alignment with the sequence of EGIII.
  • the amino acid sequence of the two enzymes is identical except for the residues in bold corresponding to positions 11 , 12, 23, 27, 32, 55, 57, 79, 81 , 93, 107, 159, 179, 183 and 204.
  • the test was run as follows:
  • FIG. 4 shows the depilling performance of the enzymes against the concentration of enzyme.
  • the EGIII-Iike enzyme from Hypocrea schweinitzii showed no depilling performance at any concentration.
  • EGIII showed depilling performance which increased in accordance with the enzyme concentration.
  • the equivalent performance of EGIII spiked into the Hypocrea schweinitzii broth containing the EGIII-Iike enzyme shows that it is not a component of the broth which prevents performance of the EGIII-Iike enzyme but, instead, the enzyme itself which has poor stability and performance.

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Abstract

La présente invention concerne des cellulases du type EGIII variant présentant une meilleure stabilité au tensioactif. Les cellulases du type variant ont des restes sensibles au tensioactif qui sont remplacés par un reste présentant une meilleure stabilité.
PCT/US1999/019154 1998-09-03 1999-08-24 Compositions de cellulase du type egiii, and codant ces compositions de cellulase du type egiii et procedes de preparation associe WO2000014208A1 (fr)

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Cited By (10)

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WO2000037614A2 (fr) * 1998-12-18 2000-06-29 Genencor International, Inc. Nouvelles compositions de variants de cellulases de type egiii
WO2002012466A2 (fr) * 2000-08-04 2002-02-14 Genencor International, Inc. Nouvelles compositions de variants de cellulase de type egiii
WO2002012465A3 (fr) * 2000-08-04 2002-09-12 Genencor Int Cellulase egiii mutante, adn codant pour de telles compositions d'egiii et methodes d'obtention
WO2002012463A3 (fr) * 2000-08-04 2002-10-17 Genencor Int Cellulase egiii mutante, adn codant ces compositions d'egiii et procedes d'elaboration
US6500211B2 (en) 1998-09-03 2002-12-31 Genencor International, Inc. Mutant EGIII cellulase, DNA encoding such EGIII compositions and methods for obtaining same
WO2003012109A1 (fr) * 2001-07-28 2003-02-13 Midwest Research Institute Cellulase a tolerance thermique a partir d'acidothermus cellulolyticus
US6812018B2 (en) 2000-06-15 2004-11-02 Prokaria Ltd. Thermostable cellulase
EP1088080B1 (fr) * 1998-06-24 2006-10-11 Genencor International, Inc. Production recombinante de la cellulase de actinomycetes
EP2135944A1 (fr) * 2007-03-12 2009-12-23 Meiji Seika Kaisha Ltd. Ppce endoglucanase et preparation de cellulase contenant celle-ci
EP2245138A4 (fr) * 2008-02-19 2011-03-02 Novozymes As Procédé pour laver à la pierre des tissus en utilisant de la cellulase

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WO1994021801A2 (fr) * 1993-03-17 1994-09-29 Genencor International, Inc. Purification et clonage moleculaire de la cellulase eg iii
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Cited By (20)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1088080B1 (fr) * 1998-06-24 2006-10-11 Genencor International, Inc. Production recombinante de la cellulase de actinomycetes
US6500211B2 (en) 1998-09-03 2002-12-31 Genencor International, Inc. Mutant EGIII cellulase, DNA encoding such EGIII compositions and methods for obtaining same
US6582750B2 (en) 1998-09-03 2003-06-24 Genencor International, Inc. Mutant EGIII cellulase, DNA encoding such EGIII compositions and methods for obtaining same
US6579841B1 (en) 1998-12-18 2003-06-17 Genencor International, Inc. Variant EGIII-like cellulase compositions
WO2000037614A3 (fr) * 1998-12-18 2000-08-03 Genencor Int Nouvelles compositions de variants de cellulases de type egiii
US6268328B1 (en) 1998-12-18 2001-07-31 Genencor International, Inc. Variant EGIII-like cellulase compositions
WO2000037614A2 (fr) * 1998-12-18 2000-06-29 Genencor International, Inc. Nouvelles compositions de variants de cellulases de type egiii
US6812018B2 (en) 2000-06-15 2004-11-02 Prokaria Ltd. Thermostable cellulase
WO2002012463A3 (fr) * 2000-08-04 2002-10-17 Genencor Int Cellulase egiii mutante, adn codant ces compositions d'egiii et procedes d'elaboration
WO2002012466A3 (fr) * 2000-08-04 2003-05-01 Genencor Int Nouvelles compositions de variants de cellulase de type egiii
US6635465B1 (en) 2000-08-04 2003-10-21 Genencor International, Inc. Mutant EGIII cellulase, DNA encoding such EGIII compositions and methods for obtaining same
WO2002012465A3 (fr) * 2000-08-04 2002-09-12 Genencor Int Cellulase egiii mutante, adn codant pour de telles compositions d'egiii et methodes d'obtention
WO2002012466A2 (fr) * 2000-08-04 2002-02-14 Genencor International, Inc. Nouvelles compositions de variants de cellulase de type egiii
WO2003012109A1 (fr) * 2001-07-28 2003-02-13 Midwest Research Institute Cellulase a tolerance thermique a partir d'acidothermus cellulolyticus
EP2135944A1 (fr) * 2007-03-12 2009-12-23 Meiji Seika Kaisha Ltd. Ppce endoglucanase et preparation de cellulase contenant celle-ci
EP2135944A4 (fr) * 2007-03-12 2010-04-07 Meiji Seika Kaisha Ppce endoglucanase et preparation de cellulase contenant celle-ci
US8257955B2 (en) 2007-03-12 2012-09-04 Meiji Seika Pharma Co., Ltd. Endoglucanase PPCE and cellulase preparation containing the same
CN103451170A (zh) * 2007-03-12 2013-12-18 明治制果药业株式会社 内切葡聚糖酶ppce和含有该内切葡聚糖酶的纤维素酶配制物
EP2245138A4 (fr) * 2008-02-19 2011-03-02 Novozymes As Procédé pour laver à la pierre des tissus en utilisant de la cellulase
US8198068B2 (en) 2008-02-19 2012-06-12 Novozymes A/S Method for stonewashing fabrics using cellulase

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