The aim of this study is to analyze the functional activity of an endo-β-1, 4-glucanase from the wood dwelling lower termite Coptotermes gestroi. Full length cDNA sequences of the endo-β-1,4-glucanase were obtained by primer walking in conjunction with Rapid Amplification cDNA Ends. With the obtained full length sequences, primers for amplifying open reading frame (ORF) excluding the signal peptide and glycophosphatidylinositol anchor were designed. Amplified endo-β-1,4-glucanase fragment was cloned and expressed using pET30(+) expression vector in BL21 E.coli strain. Expression of endo-β-1,4-glucanase was confirmed by Western blotting and the result revealed that only full ORF was expressed. The cellulase activity of protein preparations from the induced and non-induced cells was analyzed with Congo Red assay with the cellulase from Aspergillus niger (Sigma Aldrich) as a positive control. The activity of C. gestroi endo-β-1,4-glucanase was significantly higher than those observed in the positive control and the enzyme preparation from non-induced cells. Therefore, this study confirmed that C. gestroi endo-β-1,4-glucanase had a function of cellulose hydrolysis.

• Kyungjae Andrew Yoon(Department of Agricultural Biology, Seoul National University)
• Young Ho Kim(Research Institute for Agriculture and Life science, Seoul National University)
• Si Hyeock Lee(Department of Agricultural Biology, Seoul National University, Research Institute for Agriculture and Life science, Seoul National University)