Mesurement Od Cellulase Activities

Pure & App!. Chem., Vol. 59, No. 2, pp. 257—268, 1987.

Printed in Great Britain. © 1987 IUPAC

INTERNATIONAL UNION OF PURE AND APPLIED CHEMISTRY
APPLIED CHEMISTRY DIVISION COMMISSION ON BIOTECHNOLOGY*

MEASUREMENT OF CELLULASE ACTIVITIES
Prepared for publication by

T. K. GHOSE Biochemical Engineering Research Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi-110016, India*Membership of the Commission during the preparation of the report (1981—1985) was as
follows:
Chairman: 1981—83 H. Deliweg (FRG); 1983—85 C. L. Cooney (USA); Vice-Chairman: 1981—83 C. L. Cooney (USA); 1983—85 M. Ringpfeil (GDR); Secretary: 1981—83 R. C. Righelato (UK);

1983—85 G. G. Stewart (Canada); Titular and Associate Members: H. T. Blachère (France; Titular 1981—83); V. K. Eroshin (USSR;Associate 1981—83); A. Fiechter (Switzerland; Associate 1981—83); T. K. Ghose (India; Titular 1981—85); P. P. Gray (Australia; Associate 1983—85);

J. Holló (Hungary; Titular 1981—83); A. E. Humphrey (USA; Associate 1981—83); M. Linko

(Finland; Associate 1983—85); R. C. Righelato (UK; Associate 1983—85); G. G. Stewart (Canada; Associate 1981—83); J. Takahashi (Japan; Titular 1981—83); J. E. Zajic(USA; Associate 1981—83); National Representatives: R. J. Ertola (Argentina; 1981—85); P. P. Gray (Australia; 1981—83); H. J. G. Wutzel (Austria; 1981—85); W. Borzani (Brazil; 1981—85);
M. Moo-Young (Canada; 1983—85); B. Sikyta (Czechoslovakia; 1981—85); K. Von Meyenburg (Denmark; 1981—85); H. Dellweg (FRG; 1983—85); M. Linko (Finland; 1981—83); L. Penasse (France; 1983—85); M. Ringpfeil (GDR;1981—83); J. Holló (Hungary; 1983—85); V. Jagannathan (India; 1983—85); L. Goldstein (Israel; 1983—85); F. Parisi (Italy; 1983—85); S. Fukui (Japan; 1981—85); B. G. Yeoch (Malaysia; 1983—85); 0. Ilnicka-Olejiniczak (Poland; 1981—83); E. Galas (Poland; 1983—85); A. Fiechter (Switzerland; 1983—85); V. Johanides (Yugoslavia; 1981—85).
Republication of this report is permitted without the need for formalIUPAC permission on condition that an acknowledgement, with full reference together with IUPAC copyright symbol (© 1987 IUPAC), is printed. Publication of a translation into another language is subject to the additional condition of prior approval from the relevant JUPAC NationalAdhering Organization.

Measurement of cellulase activities
Fermentation Commission, IUPAC, (changed to Commission onBiotechnology, JUPAC, July 1980) put in a considerable effort and time since July 1976 to prepare a document prescribing standard assay procedures for cellulase enzyme system. The subject area was considered significantly important because the number of

groups engaged in the studies of enzymatic break-down of cellulose of various sources were on steady increase. At least nine Commissionmeetings held during the last several years (Berlin, July 1976; Warsaw, June 1977; Munich, Sept. 1978;

Davos, Sept. 1979; London (Ontario), July 1980; Leuven, Aug. 1981; MIT
(Boston), Aug. 1982; Lyngby, Aug. 1983 & New Delhi,Feb.1984) gave consider-

able attention to this project. Several aspects of the proposed standard procedures available to workers for enzyme and substrate evaluation wereconsidered. The detailed text of the draft prepared during mid 1980 and partially modified in early 1982 were discussed by the Commission at the MIT workshop in 1982. At
the Lyngby meeting the Commission gave its final recommendations on the manuscript which after some additional review was adopted at the New Delhi meeting in February 1984 for release. Several procedures were suggested in the draftfor consideration of the members of the Commission and other experts in the field. Thefinal version of the Commission's draft is expected to be useful as a document of standard procedures for assay and evaluation of cellulase enzyme system.

Although for a subject area so complicated and involved like the assay procedures of various enzymes associated with cellulose-cellulase system, it was...