Enzymatic surface modification of cellulose acetate fibre by cutinase-CBM (carbohydrate-binding module) fusion proteins

Abstract

In this paper, two types of bacterial fusion protein, cutinase-CBMCel6A and cutinase-CBMCenA, were used to modify the surface of cellulose acetate fibre. The enzyme binding on cellulose acetate fibres and the hydrolysis of acetyl groups were monitored. Water absorbency and dye uptake were measured to assess the extent of enzymatic modification. The results demonstrated that cutinase-carbohydrate-binding module (CBM) has a greater effect on cellulose acetate fibres than that of cutinase. The use of non-ionic surfactant Triton X-100 could further improve enzymatic modification of cellulose acetate fibres in terms of wettability and dyeability. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed that both cutinase-CBMs could lead to the formation of carving characters on the surface of treated cellulose acetate fibres. Our studies provide a foundation for the potential application of cutinase-CBM in the surface modification of cellulose acetate fibre.