Yuan Zhao. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-96). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract (English) --- p.i / Abstract (Chinese) --- p.iii / Acknowledgements --- p.iv / Declaration --- p.v / Abbreviations --- p.vi / Table of Contents --- p.viii / List of Tables --- p.xii / List of Figures --- p.xiii / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Lignocelluloses --- p.2 / Chapter 1.1.1 --- component of lignocellulose --- p.2 / Chapter 1.1.2 --- Xylans --- p.3 / Chapter 1.2 --- Degradation of lignocellulose --- p.9 / Chapter 1.3 --- "Endo-β-1,4- xylanase" --- p.12 / Chapter 1.3.1 --- Structure of xylanase --- p.12 / Chapter 1.3.2 --- Mode of action --- p.17 / Chapter 1.3.3 --- Appications of xylanase --- p.20 / Chapter 1.4 --- Aims of my study --- p.24 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Materials and Methods --- p.25 / Chapter 2.1 --- Cloning of xylanase genes --- p.26 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Materials --- p.26 / Chapter 2.1.1.1 --- Bacterial and fungal strains --- p.26 / Chapter 2.1.1.2 --- Growth media --- p.26 / Chapter 2.1.1.3 --- Vector --- p.26 / Chapter 2.1.1.4 --- Reagents for agarose gel electrophoresis --- p.27 / Chapter 2.1.1.5 --- Reagents for preparation of competent cells --- p.27 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Methods --- p.29 / Chapter 2.1.2.1 --- Isolation of chromosomal DNA --- p.29 / Chapter 2.1.2.2 --- Amplification of exons of xylanase genes --- p.29 / Chapter 2.1.2.3 --- Agarose gel electrophoresis of DNA --- p.37 / Chapter 2.1.2.4 --- DNA recovery from agarose gel --- p.37 / Chapter 2.1.2.5 --- Assemble and amplify the full length genes --- p.38 / Chapter 2.1.2.6 --- Restriction endonuclease digestion --- p.39 / Chapter 2.1.2.7 --- Ligation of purified DNA fragment into vector --- p.39 / Chapter 2.1.2.8 --- Transformation --- p.40 / Chapter 2.1.2.9 --- Methods for making competent cells --- p.40 / Chapter 2.1.2.10 --- Plasmid DNA preparation --- p.40 / Chapter 2.1.2.11 --- DNA sequencing --- p.41 / Chapter 2.2 --- Mutagenesis of xylanase --- p.43 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Amplification of xylanases genes --- p.47 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- DNA random mutagenesis --- p.48 / Chapter 2.2.2.1 --- DNase digestion --- p.48 / Chapter 2.2.2.2 --- Reassembly of DNA fragments --- p.48 / Chapter 2.2.2.3 --- Amplification of full-length genes --- p.48 / Chapter 2.2.2.4 --- Construction of library --- p.49 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Screening of mutants --- p.49 / Chapter 2.2.3.1 --- Preparation of RBB-xylan --- p.49 / Chapter 2.2.3.2 --- Plate assay for screening of mutants --- p.50 / Chapter 2.3 --- Expression of xylanase genes --- p.51 / Chapter 2.4 --- Enzyme assays --- p.52 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- Xylanase assay with RBB-xylan --- p.52 / Chapter 2.4.2 --- Xylanase assay with DNS-method --- p.52 / Chapter 2.4.2.1 --- Reagents --- p.53 / Chapter 2.4.2.2 --- Xylose standard curve --- p.53 / Chapter 2.4.2. 3 --- Activity assay --- p.54 / Chapter 2.4.2. 4 --- Thermostability assay --- p.54 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Results --- p.55 / Chapter 3.1 --- Cloning of xylanase genes --- p.56 / Chapter 3.2 --- Mutagenesis of xylanase --- p.59 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- DNA random mutagenesis --- p.59 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Screening of mutants --- p.67 / Chapter 3.3 --- Enzyme assays --- p.69 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Discussions --- p.76 / Chapter 4.1 --- Gene shuffling --- p.77 / Chapter 4.2 --- Screening method and activity assay --- p.78 / Chapter 4.3 --- Sequence analysis --- p.80 / Chapter 4.4 --- Future work --- p.88 / Bibliography --- p.89