The inhibition of β‐glucosidase activity in Trichoderma reesei C30 cellulase by derivatives and isomers of glucose

Abstract The inhibition of β‐glucosidase in Trichoderma reesei C30 cellulase by D‐glucose, its isomers, and derivatives was studied using cellobiose and ρ‐nitrophenyl‐β‐glucoside (PNPG) as substrates for determining enzyme activity. The enzymatic hydrolysis of both substrates was inhibited competitively by glucose with approximate Ki values of 0.5mM and 8.7mM for cellobiose and PNPG as substrate, respectively. This inhibition by glucose was maximal at pH 4.8, and no inhibition was observed at pH 6.5 and above. The α anomer of glucose inhibited β‐glucosidase to a greater extent than did the β form. Compared with D‐glucose, L‐glucose, D‐glucose‐6‐phosphate, and D‐glucose‐1‐phosphate inhibited the enzyme to a much lesser extent, unlike D‐glucose‐L‐cysteine which was almost as inhibitory as glucose itself when cellobiose was used as substrate. Fructose (2−100mM) was found to be a poor inhibitor of the enzyme. It is suggested that high rates of cellobiose hydrolysis catalyzed by β‐glucosidase may be prolonged by converting the reaction product glucose to fructose using a suitable preparation of glucose isomerase.