Cellulase and oxidative enzymes: new approaches, challenges and perspectives on cellulose degradation for bioethanol production

Second-generation bioethanol is a sustainable energy source that can be produced from different renewable materials. However, there is a challenge we must overcome to significantly enhance bioethanol production: the hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass to fermentable sugars. Synergistic enzymes, such as endoglucanases, beta-glucosidases, cellobiohydrolases, and, more recently, lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases and cellobiose dehydrogenases have been used with great success to hydrolyze pretreated biomass. Further advances in the field of second-generation bioethanol production will likely depend on an increased understanding of the interactions between enzymes and lignocellulosic substrates, the development of enzyme engineering, and the optimization of enzyme mixtures to enhance cellulose hydrolysis.