Expression, purification, and characterization of the cellulose-binding domain of the scaffoldin subunit from the cellulosome of the Clostridium thermocellum

The cellulose-binding domain (CBD) present on a noncatalytic scaffoldin subunit of the cellulosome in Clostridium thermocellum is similar in structure, substrate affinity and binding capacity to the CBD present in C. cellulovorans. However the polyclonal antibodies produced against the CBD of C. thermocellum do not act against the CBD of C. cellulovorans possibly because the exposed epitopes in the two CBD's are different. Chemical changes in the cysteine of the CBD do not affect the CBD's ability to bind cellulose.