Claims
- 1. A catalytic composition comprising an acidic medium and a salt-soluble polypetide having a molecular weight of about 29-30 kD as measured by SDS-PAGE and an amino acid sequence of any of SEQ. ID. NO: 1 through SEQ. ID. NO:6, wherein the composition induces expansion of inert plant cell wall material.
- 2. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the acidic medium has a pH of about 5.5 to 3.5.
- 3. A composition according to claim 1, further comprising a sulfhydryl reducing agent.
- 4. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the acidic medium comprises a member selected from the group consisting of sodium acetate and urea.
- 5. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the expansion is irreversible.
- 6. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the polypeptide is produced synthetically.
- 7. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the polypeptide is of plant origin.
- 8. A composition according to claim 7, wherein the polypeptide is derived from a plant family selected from the group consisting of cucumber, oat, broccoli, celery, tomato, cotton, flax, cabbage and corn.
- 9. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the polypeptide is derived from cell wall material of a plant growing region.
- 10. A composition according to claim 9, wherein the plant is from the group consisting of cucumber, oat, broccoli, celery, tomato, cotton, flax, cabbage and corn.
- 11. A polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence of any of SEQ ID. NO:1 through SEQ. ID. NO:6 and which induces an extension of plant cell wall material.
- 12. A polypeptide according to claim 11 having a molecular weight of from 25-30 kD as determined by SDS-PAGE.
- 13. A polypeptide according to claim 11 that is derived from cell wall material of a plant growing region.
- 14. A polypeptide according to claim 11 which induces the extension of plant call wall material in the presence of an acid.
- 15. A polypeptide according to claim 14 wherein the acid has a pH of about 5.5 to 3.5.
- 16. A polypeptide having at least 60% sequence similarity to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ. ID. NO: 1 through SEQ. ID. NO: 6 and which induces an extension of plant cell wall material.
- 17. A polypeptide according to claim 16 having a molecular weight of from 25-30 kD as determined by SDS-PAGE.
- 18. A polypeptide according to claim 16 having at least 70% sequence similarity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID. NO: 1.
- 19. A polypeptide of claim 16, wherein the amino acid sequence is SEQ. ID. NO: 1.
- 20. A polypeptide according to claim 19 having a molecular weight of from 25-30 kD as determined by SDS-PAGE.
- 21. A method of weakening �the! mechanical strength of cellulose comprising contacting a quantity of cellulose with a composition having at least one polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence of any of SEQ. ID. NO: 1 through SEQ. ID. NO: 6.
- 22. A method according to claim 21, wherein the composition further comprises at least one of a sulfhydryl reducing agent and an acid.
CORRESPONDING U.S. APPLICATIONS
This specification is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/242,090, filed May 12, 1994, now abandoned which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/060,944, filed May 12, 1993, now abandoned.
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|
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Continuation in Parts (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
242090 |
May 1994 |
|
Parent |
060944 |
May 1993 |
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