3). The recovered fraction produced two bands on SDS–PAGE gel (Fig. 4), although a subtle difference between the peaks of protein recovery and EG activity and the asymmetrical form of the third

protein peak suggested impurity of the recovery (Fig. 3). Both bands reacted to the anti-A18 mutant KRX-0401 manufacturer endogenous termite cellulase rabbit serum (Fig. 4, left). Thus the two proteins were likely differently-processed mature forms of the same gene products or isoforms, so we chose the stronger band indicating greater protein abundance (Fig. 4, arrowed) for LC/MS/MS analysis. Total purification and recovery from the homogenate were 44× and 71%, respectively (Table 1). The antigency to Epacadostat solubility dmso the anti-A18 mutant termite endoglucanase serum (Fig. 4) suggested an endogenous origin of the isolated enzymes (Tokuda et al., 2012). The primary and secondary anti-serums did not react to the molecular weight ladders (negative controls), and the secondary anti-serum reacted to the protein ladder with IgG binding sites (positive control). RT-PCR identified two partial cDNAs for EG enzymes from each phasmid species. From E. calcarata we found EcEG1 (672 bp encoding 224 amino acids) and EcEG2 (669 bp encoding 223 amino-acids). From E. okinawaensis we found EoEG1 and EoEG2 (both 675 bp encoding 225 amino-acids)

(GenBank accession no’s: AB750682, AB780366, AB750683, AB750684, respectively). These Casein kinase 1 gene sequences showed moderately high similarities (67–75%) to known endogenously-produced insect cellulases from the GenBank nucleotide database ( Benson et al., 2012): mainly those of termites (Mastotermes darwinensis, Coptotermes formosanus, Carpobrotus acinaciformis, Nasutitermes walkeri, Reticulitermes flavipes), the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana), and several crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus, Teleogryllus emma). The E. calcarata EcEG2 sequence also matched those of cellulolytic microbes (Ex. Cellulomonas fimi), but the percent query matched was lower for this sequence.

Mascot analysis demonstrated that the molecular weights of trypsin fragments from the purified EG enzyme (cut off at carboxyl-side peptide linkages of Lys and Arg residues) were identical or quite similar († in Fig. 5 with >89% probability) to the twenty-four predicted trypsin residues from translated EcEG1 (85% coverage) ( Fig. 5). This confirmed that the purified enzyme was the product of EcEG1. This paper marks the first sequencing of cellulase genes from the Phasmatodea. Specifically, we found four genes from two phasmid species for endogenously-produced beta-1,4-endoglucanases of the GH9 family. The EG we isolated can digest the amorphous region on the surface of native-form cellulose molecules. The products of that reaction could be broken down to simple sugars via beta-glucosidases, which are ubiquitous enzymes in insects (Watanabe and Tokuda, 2010).