Methods for degrading or converting cellulosic material

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods for degrading or converting a cellulosic material, comprising: treating the cellulosic material with an enzyme composition in the presence of a polypeptide having catalase activity; and enzyme compositions used for degrading or converting a cellulosic material comprising one or more (e.g., several) enzymes having cellulolytic and/or hemicellulolytic activity and a polypeptide having catalase activity.

1 - 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . A method for degrading or converting a cellulosic material to fermentable sugars, comprising: treating the cellulosic material with an enzyme composition in the presence of a GH61 polypeptide having cellulolytic enhancing activity, one or more oxidoreductases selected from the group consisting of a laccase and a peroxidase, and a polypeptide having catalase activity, wherein the presence of the polypeptide having catalase activity increases the production of fermentable sugars, as compared to a degradation or conversion of a cellulosic material not in the presence of a polypeptide having catalase activity. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the enzyme composition comprises one or more enzymes selected from the group consisting of an esterase, an expansin, a ligninolytic enzyme, a pectinase, a protease, and a swollenin. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the cellulosic material is selected from the group consisting of agricultural residue, herbaceous material, municipal solid waste, pulp and paper mill residue, waste paper, wood, arundo, bagasse, bamboo, corn cob, corn fiber, corn stover, miscanthus, orange peel, rice straw, switchgrass, wheat straw, eucalyptus, fir, pine, poplar, spruce, willow, algal cellulose, bacterial cellulose, cotton linter, filter paper, microcrystalline cellulose, and phosphoric-acid treated cellulose. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the cellulosic material is pretreated by chemical pretreatment, physical pretreatment, or biochemical pretreatment. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising fermenting the fermentable sugars with one or more fermenting microorganisms to produce a fermentation product. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the fermentation product comprises ethanol. 
     
     
         32 . A method for producing a fermentation product comprising:
 (a) saccharifying a cellulosic material an enzyme composition in the presence of a GH61 polypeptide having cellulolytic enhancing activity, one or more oxidoreductases selected from the group consisting of a laccase and a peroxidase, and a polypeptide having catalase activity, wherein the presence of the polypeptide having catalase activity increases the production of fermentable sugars, as compared to a degradation or conversion of a cellulosic material not in the presence of a polypeptide having catalase; and   (b) fermenting the saccharified cellulosic material with one or more fermenting microorganisms to produce the fermentation product.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the enzyme composition comprises one or more enzymes selected from the group consisting of an esterase, an expansin, a ligninolytic enzyme, a pectinase, a protease, and a swollenin. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the cellulosic material is selected from the group consisting of agricultural residue, herbaceous material, municipal solid waste, pulp and paper mill residue, waste paper, wood, arundo, bagasse, bamboo, corn cob, corn fiber, corn stover, miscanthus, orange peel, rice straw, switchgrass, wheat straw, eucalyptus, fir, pine, poplar, spruce, willow, algal cellulose, bacterial cellulose, cotton linter, filter paper, microcrystalline cellulose, and phosphoric-acid treated cellulose. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the cellulosic material is pretreated by chemical pretreatment, physical pretreatment, or biochemical pretreatment. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the fermentation product comprises ethanol.