KINETIC STUDIES OF ACTION OF CELLULASE UPON SODIUM CARBOXYMETHYL CELLULOSE

Kinetic studies of the hydrolysis of carboxymethyl cellulose (CM-cellulose) by cellulase have been carried out. It has been found that the hydrolysis of three (or more) adjacent unsubstituted glucosyl residues is the initial and dominating reaction. The total reaction at extended reaction time, measured by reducing end-group determinations, has been found to exceed the concentration of three adjacent unsubstituted glucosyl residues, showing that other groupings are also involved. The shape of the reaction curve indicates that there are different reaction rates for different groupings. The Michaelis-Menten constant, Km, has been viscometrically determined as a function of the degree of substitution (DS). The Km value was found to increase with DS. The Km value could be extrapolated to DS = 0; i.e., cellulose in a hypothetical solution. The value obtained was 3 × 10-3 g/liter. © 1969.