NOVELTY - Producing a solvent, fuel or chemical intermediate from a substance containing cellulose, involves expressing an anticardiolipin antibodies (ACLA) polypeptide of Pseudomonas sp. ND137 or its homologue, or a functional fragment and/or variant of the ACLA polypeptide or of the homologue in a recombinant host cell, and contacting the substance with the ACLA polypeptide.    USE - For producing a solvent, fuel or chemical intermediate from a substance containing cellulose (claimed).    ADVANTAGE - The anticardiolipin antibodies (ACLA) polypeptide has an elevated activity compared to other bacterial cellulase enzymes, such as those previously identified from Clostridium cellulolyticum or thermocellum. The ACLA is advantageous in direct use for in vitro degradation of cellulose and in the context of heterologous production in micro-organism with the aim of producing fermentable sugars, more particularly in solvent-producing (solventogenic) microorganisms. The isolated ACLA enzyme has a particularly high cellulolytic activity compared to other bacterial cellulose degrading enzymes; and this enzyme is particularly suitable for application in the bulk degradation of cellulose, such as large-scale degradation of cellulose-containing biomass in bioreactors.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for the following: 1) new recombinant micro-organism (O1) expressing the ACLA polypeptide of Pseudomonas sp. ND137 or its homologue, or a functional fragment and/or variant of the ACLA polypeptide or of the homologue, where the micro-organism is capable of degrading cellulose; 2) degradation of a substance comprising cellulose, involving contacting the substance with the recombinant micro-organism (O1); 3) new recombinant micro-organism (O2) expressing the ACLA polypeptide of Pseudomonas sp. ND137 or its homologue, or a functional fragment and/or variant of the ACLA polypeptide or of the homologue, and at least one additional foreign cellulose-degrading enzymes other than the ACLA polypeptide; 4) a mixture of enzymes comprising the ACLA polypeptide of Pseudomonas sp. ND137 or its homologue, or a functional fragment and/or variant of the ACLA polypeptide or of the homologue and at least one cellulose-degrading enzyme other than the ACLA polypeptide; and 5) use of (i) the ACLA polypeptide of Pseudomonas sp. ND137 or its homologue, or a functional fragment and/or variant of the ACLA polypeptide or of the homologue, (ii) a nucleotide sequence encoding the ACLA polypeptide of Pseudomonas sp. ND137 or its homologue, or a functional fragment and/or variant of the ACLA polypeptide or of the homologue, (iii) an expression vector comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding the ACLA polypeptide of Pseudomonas sp. ND137 or its homologue, or a functional fragment and/or variant of the ACLA polypeptide or of the homologue, where the nucleic acid sequence is operably linked to regulatory sequences which allow for expression in a host cell; (iv) a host cell expressing the ACLA polypeptide of Pseudomonas sp. ND137 or its homologue, or a functional fragment and/or variant of the ACLA polypeptide or of the homologue, (v) a host cell transformed with a nucleotide sequence encoding the ACLA polypeptide of Pseudomonas sp. ND137 or its homologue, or a functional fragment and/or variant of the ACLA polypeptide or of the homologue, or (vi) the recombinant micro-organism (O1) and (O2), for the production of a solvent, fuel or chemical intermediate from a substance comprising cellulose.