GENETIC CONSTRUCTS AND GENETICALLY MODIFIED MICROBES FOR ENHANCED PRODUCTION OF BETA-GLUCOSIDASE

摘要

This invention relates to the genetic modification of a microbe to enhance its production of an enzyme, beta-glucosidase, that is important in the cellulose conversion process. The inventors have discovered genetic constructs that, when expressed in recombinant microbes, dramatically increase the amount of beta-glucosidase produced relative to untransformed microbes. The genetic constructs comprise a promoter, a xylanase secretion signal, and a mature beta-glucosidase coding region. The increased level of beta-glucosidase significantly increases the efficiency of hydrolysis of cellulose to glucose by cellulase enzymes, thereby enhancing the production of fuel ethanol from cellulose.