Patent ID: 8445240
Filing Date: 2013-05-21
Classification: C12N,C12P,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A method of converting a lignified plant material to a fermentable product, the method comprising the steps of: (a) obtaining a series of isolated polypeptides wherein said polypeptides are encoded by the genome of a termite, wherein the series of polypeptides cooperate to convert a plant lignocellulose to a fermentable product and wherein said series includes one or more polypeptides having at least 90% sequence identity to a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of (i) a laccase selected from the group the consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 8, 10, 12, 15, 17, 19, 21 and 23; (ii) an esterase selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 27, 29, 31 and 33 and (iii) a glucosidase comprising SEQ ID NO: 6, and wherein said series further comprises one or more polypeptides selected from the group consisting of an endoglucanase and an exoglucanase; and (b) incubating the series of polypeptides with a source of lignified plant material, under conditions allowing the polypeptides to cooperatively produce a fermentable product from the lignified plant material.