Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Cellulose

Enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose is an important reaction in nature for it marks the first step in the decay of cellulose, the most abundantly occurring or- ganic material.Unlike the chemical reactions, the enzymatic process has not yet been adapted to any useful industrial purpose.This paper aims to review and to evaluate some of the recent developments in the study of the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose, to compare enzymatic with other hydrolyses, and to define the problems immediately ahead.RECENT DEVELOPMENTS Multiple components in cellulolytic systems.One of the most important questions being resolved is "Are there several cellulases, or is there only one type?"Until 4 or 5 years ago, all of our work was based on the assumption of a single cellulase, and this in spite of the fact that starch hydrolyzing enzymes were recognized as of several types.The following diagram helps to illustrate the dif- ferent views of the current workers in this field: Native Cl Linear Cellulose Cx Cellulose Chains (A, B, C etc.) Cellobiose --gluc, glucose fl-glucosidase A, B, C etc. (= transferases?)