Polypeptides having endoglucanase activity and polynucleotides encoding same

Abstract

The present invention relates to isolated polypeptides having endoglucanase activity and isolated polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides. The invention also relates to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides as well as methods of producing and using the polypeptides.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An isolated polypeptide having endoglucanase activity, selected from the group consisting of:
 (a) a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 4;   (b) a polypeptide encoded by a polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence that hybridizes under at least very high stringency conditions with (i) SEQ ID NO: 3, (ii) a cDNA sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3, or (iii) a full-length complement of (i) or (ii); and   (c) a polypeptide encoded by a polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 3 or a cDNA sequence thereof.   
     
     
         2 . The polypeptide of  claim 1 , comprising SEQ ID NO: 4; or a fragment thereof having endoglucanase activity. 
     
     
         3 . A nucleic acid construct comprising an isolated polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence that encodes the polypeptide of  claim 1  operably linked to one or more heterologous control sequences that direct the production of the polypeptide in an expression host. 
     
     
         4 . A recombinant expression vector comprising an isolated polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence that encodes the polypeptide of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         5 . An isolated recombinant host cell comprising the nucleic acid construct of  claim 3 . 
     
     
         6 . A method of producing the polypeptide of  claim 1 , comprising: (a) cultivating an isolated  Penicillium brasilianum  cell under conditions conducive for production of the polypeptide; and (b) recovering the polypeptide. 
     
     
         7 . A method of producing the polypeptide of  claim 1 , comprising: (a) cultivating a host cell comprising a nucleic acid construct comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding the polypeptide under conditions conducive for production of the polypeptide; and (b) recovering the polypeptide. 
     
     
         8 . A method of producing a mutant of an isolated  Penicillium brasilianum  parent cell, comprising disrupting or deleting a nucleotide sequence encoding the polypeptide of  claim 1  in the isolated  Penicillium brasilianum  parent cell, which results in the mutant producing less of the polypeptide than the parent cell. 
     
     
         9 . A method of producing the polypeptide of  claim 1 , comprising: (a) cultivating a transgenic plant or a plant cell comprising a polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide under conditions conducive for production of the polypeptide; and (b) recovering the polypeptide. 
     
     
         10 . A transgenic plant, plant part or plant cell transformed with a polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide of  claim 1 , wherein the polypeptide comprises a signal peptide directing the polypeptide into the secretory pathway. 
     
     
         11 . A method for degrading a cellulosic material, comprising: treating the cellulosic material with a cellulolytic enzyme composition in the presence of the polypeptide having endoglucanase activity of  claim 1 , wherein the presence of the polypeptide having endoglucanase activity increases the degradation of cellulosic material compared to the absence of the polypeptide having endoglucanase activity. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the cellulolytic enzyme composition comprises one or more cellulolytic enzymes selected from the group consisting of an endoglucanase, cellobiohydrolase, and beta-glucosidase. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising recovering the degraded cellulosic material. 
     
     
         14 . A method for producing a fermentation product, comprising:
 (a) saccharifying a cellulosic material with a cellulolytic enzyme composition in the presence of the polypeptide having endoglucanase activity of  claim 1 , wherein the presence of the polypeptide having endoglucanase activity increases the degradation of cellulosic material compared to the absence of the polypeptide having endoglucanase activity;   (b) fermenting the saccharified cellulosic material with one or more fermenting microorganisms to produce the fermentation product; and   (c) recovering the fermentation product from the fermentation.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the cellulolytic enzyme composition comprises one or more cellulolytic enzymes selected from the group consisting of an endoglucanase, cellobiohydrolase, and beta-glucosidase. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein steps (a) and (b) are performed simultaneously in a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation. 
     
     
         17 . A method of fermenting a cellulosic material, comprising: fermenting the cellulosic material with one or more fermenting microorganisms, wherein the cellulosic material is saccharified with a cellulolytic enzyme composition in the presence of the polypeptide having endoglucanase activity of  claim 1  and the presence of the polypeptide having endoglucanase activity increases the degradation of the cellulosic material compared to the absence of the polypeptide having endoglucanase activity. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the fermenting of the cellulosic material produces a fermentation product. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the cellulolytic enzyme composition comprises one or more cellulolytic enzymes selected from the group consisting of an endoglucanase, cellobiohydrolase, and beta-glucosidase.