Results

Cellobiohydrolase

 The effect of substrate concentration and incubation time on the potential activity

of cellobiohydrolase was investigated at the enriched and reference sites. Tf-Ti values

are simply referred to as "activity" for the purposes of this study.

 The response of the highest MUF-cellobioside concentration (500PM) over

incubation time varied between the enriched (Fl) and reference (U3) sites (Figures 2-la

& 2-1b). Mean activities over the incubation period were 302 and -240 (unitless) with

standard errors 179% and 48% of the mean for the Fl and U3 sites, respectively. Both

sites exhibited erratic readings with initial reductions in activity that was reflected in the

large replicate errors. Fl responded differently than U3 with net increases in activity

after 120 mins.

 Positive activity changes were exhibited at the lowest MUF-cellobioside

concentration of 5 [tM at both sites with mean activities of 223 and 295 and standard

errors 20% and 17% of the mean at the Fl and U3 sites, respectively. These activities

were considered low and reflect an insufficient quantity of substrate to obtain near

saturating conditions. This low resolution in the difference between Tf and Ti values

occurred in the range of 5 to 30 [aM.

 The behavior of cellobiohydrolase was found to be most linear at a substrate

concentration of 60 [aM. This concentration reflected the greatest activity among the sites

before a large decrease in activity at 125 [aM (Figure 2-1c). Mean activities of 673 and

503 with standard errors 9% and 15% of the mean occurred for the Fl and U3 sites,

respectively. Due to linear increases in activity, extended incubation times were not