The last piece in the cellulase puzzle: the characterisation of β-glucosidase from the herbivorous gecarcinid land crab Gecarcoidea natalis

SUMMARY A 160 kDa enzyme with β-glucosidase activity was purified from the midgut gland of the land crab Gecarcoidea natalis. The enzyme was capable of releasing glucose progressively from cellobiose, cellotriose or cellotetraose. Although β-glucosidases (EC 3.2.1.21) have some activity towards substrates longer than cellobiose, the enzyme was classified as a glucohydrolase (EC 3.2.1.74) as it had a preference for larger substrates (cellobiose