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The rapid development of Lentinula edode industry in China has led to the production of large amounts of waste substrates, which has brought enormous pressure to ecological environment. Thus, it is of great significance to study utilization of spent substrate. In this study, complex enzyme combined with high pressure pretreatment were applied to extract polysaccharide from spent substrate of L. edode in order to improve the utilization efficiency of its residue and explore more biological application of the polysaccharides from spent L. edodes substrate. The optimal extraction conditions were as follows: complex enzyme (cellulase, xylanase, β-glucanase) ratio, 3:2:1; total amount of enzyme, 660 U·g-1; liquid/material ratio, 20 mL/g; temperature, 45 ℃; time, 6 h; The yield of purified polysaccharide (LE-UE) was 5.98% and the content was 51.60%. LE-UE could markedly improve inflammatory damage of LPS-induced macrophages RAW264.7 by inhibiting release of NO and secretion of inflammatory cytokines. Animal experiments showed that LE-UE could markedly improve the histopathological damage and inflammation in ulcerative colitis mice by regulating the level of oxidative stress, and reduce the release of inflammatory cytokines by down-regulating mRNA expression and proteins levels. Therefore, LE-UE has anti-inflammatory activity and may be used as a novel anti-inflammatory agent for treatment. This study could provide scientific evidence for the high-value utilization of spent substrates and also provide theoretical basis for the development of functional feed additives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellulolytic microorganisms play a crucial role in agricultural waste disposal. Strain QXD-8T was isolated from soil in northern China. Similarity analyses of the 16S rRNA gene, as well as the 120 conserved genes in the whole-genome sequence, indicate that it represents a novel species within the genus Microbacterium. The Microbacterium sp. QXD-8T was able to grow on the CAM plate with sodium carboxymethyl cellulose as a carbon source at 15 °C, forming a transparent hydrolysis circle after Congo red staining, even though the optimal temperature for the growth and cellulose degradation of strain QXD-8T was 28 °C. In the liquid medium, it effectively degraded cellulose and produced reducing sugars. Functional annotation revealed the presence of encoding genes for the GH5, GH6, and GH10 enzyme families with endoglucanase activity, as well as the GH1, GH3, GH39, and GH116 enzyme families with β-glucosidase activity. Additionally, two proteins in the GH6 family, one in the GH10, and two of nine proteins in the GH3 were predicted to contain a signal peptide and transmembrane region, suggesting their potential for extracellularly degrade cellulose. Based on the physiological features of the type strain QXD-8T, we propose the name Microbacterium psychrotolerans for this novel species. This study expands the diversity of psychrotolerant cellulolytic bacteria and provides a potential microbial resource for straw returning in high-latitude areas at low temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grazing impacts soil enzyme activities by changing soil conditions and microbial functions. Yet, the specific effects of grazing on soil enzymes in different northeastern China forest-steppe vegetation types remain poorly understood. To examine this, catalase (CA), urease (UA), and cellulase (CEA) activities were measured in different vegetation types (NS, MF, CP, GL) under both grazing and non-grazing conditions. Soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen (MBC and MBN) and other soil factors were also studied to gauge their impact on enzyme activities. The results indicated that enzyme activities were influenced by grazing, soil nutrient levels, mineralization, and microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen content. Grazing exerted the most significant influence on UA. CEA was predominantly affected by the content of biomass nitrogen and soil mineralization. CA, on the other hand, was primarily influenced by soil nutrient levels. Grazing influenced enzyme activities differently based on vegetation type. Under grazing, CA showed higher values in NS, MF, CP, and GL (4.09, 2.42, 3.26, and 3.90 mL 0.1 mol L−1 KMnO4 g−1 soil 20 min−1, respectively) with increases ranging from 32.52% to 505.00% (p < 0.05). Additionally, UA values were significantly higher in MF and CP (0.24 and 0.59 mg NH4+-N g−1 soil d−1, respectively) with increases of 66.67% and 156.00%, while UA and CEA were lower in GL, showing reductions of 78.79% and 166.67% (p < 0.05) (0.33 NH4+-N g−1 soil d−1 and 0.06 mg glucose g−1 soil 72 h−1, respectively) under grazing conditions. These findings underscore the importance of vegetation types in the grazing effects on soil enzymes at the forest-steppe ecotone and suggest that further efforts should be made to strengthen grassland grazing management to mitigate negative impacts on soil environmental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Ciliochorella is a group of pestalotioid fungi, which typically occurs in subtropical and tropical areas. Species from the Ciliochorella genus play important roles in the decomposition of litter. In this study, we introduce two new species (Ciliochorella chinensis sp. nov. and C. savannica sp. nov.) that were found on leaf litter collected from savanna-like vegetation in hot dry valleys of southwestern China. Phylogenetic analyses of combined LSU, ITS and tub2 sequence datasets indicated that C. chinensis and C. savannica respectively form a distinct clade within the Ciliochorella genus. The comparison of the morphological characteristics indicated that the two new species are well differentiated within this genus species. Analysis of the evolutionary history suggests that Ciliochorella originated from the Eurasian continent during the Paleogene (38 Mya). Further, we find that both new species can produce cellulase and laccase, playing a decomposer role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to understand the dynamic change law in cell wall substance content and enzyme activity of different maturity of tobacco leaves, provide a certain theoretical basis for timely harvest and improvement of tobacco leaves, in this study, the central tobacco leaves of flue-cured tobacco varieties NC71, China Tobacco 100, and NX211 were used as materials to study the dynamic changes of the content of cell wall components and their related enzyme activities during the maturation and senescence process of different flue-cured tobacco varieties. The results showed that with the progress of leaf maturation and senescence, the contents of total pectin and cellulose both reached the highest at moderate maturity. The order of the content of total pectin was as following: NC71 > China Tobacco 100 > NX211, but the difference was not significant. The order of the content of cellulose was as following: China Tobacco 100 > NC71 > NX211, and the difference was not significant. The lignin content increased from underripe to moderate maturity. The activity of pectin esterase(PE) was the lowest at moderate maturity, the order of activity of PE was as following: NC71 > China Tobacco 100 > NX211. but the difference between of the value of NC71 and China Tobacco 100 was not significant. The activity of polygalacturonase(PG) was the highest at moderate maturity, the order of activity of PG was as following: China Tobacco 100 > NX211 > NC71, and the difference in the activity of PG in the varieties was significant. The activity of cellulase reached the highest at complete maturity, the order of activity of cellulase was as following: China Tobacco 100 > NC71 > NX211, but the difference between of the value of China Tobacco 100 and NC71 was not significant. The change tendency in cell wall component content and related enzyme activities of different flue-cured tobacco varieties were the same, but there were differences in quantity and activity values. According to the change law in cell wall substances of different flue-cured tobacco varieties during maturation, the appropriate harvest period could be selected targetedly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mountain Zizania latifolia is produced at scale in China, and the edible swollen culm is exported to many countries, but little attention has been paid to its functional components. In this work, microwave‐assisted enzymatic extraction (MAEE) is used for the first time to extract polysaccharides from mountain Z. latifolia swollen culm (PMZL). MAEE conditions optimized by Box–Behnken design‐response surface methodology were as follows: 2.4% cellulase, microwaving for 6.0 min at 607 W, with a liquid‐to‐solid ratio of 63:1 ml g−1. Under these conditions, a notably high yield of 60.43% ± 1.12% for PMZL was achieved, which was significantly higher (p < 0.01) than from plain‐grown varieties. PMZL are naturally occurring sulfated polysaccharide–protein complexes containing 8.46% ± 0.18% proteins and 7.86% ± 0.73% sulfates. PMZL comprises mannose, glucosamine, rhamnose, glucose, galactose, and arabinose at molar ratios of 3.80:2.68:1.00:17.41:5.12:2.91, with a weight‐average molecular weight of 1569,219 Da and a number‐average molecular weight of 364,088 Da. The surface morphology of PMZL is composed of tightly packed oval particles, and this kind of promising polysaccharides preferentially scavenges reactive nitrogen species. Practical Application: Due to global warming, the land available for planting vegetables is likely to expand to higher areas, so greater attention should now be paid to mountain‐grown vegetables. This study provides an efficient way to obtain novel polysaccharides from mountain Zizania latifolia using microwave‐assisted enzymatic extraction with a remarkably high yield of 60.4%. This promising source of natural carbohydrates has potential uses in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, functional foods, cosmetics, and functional materials industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biofloc technology (BFT) system has been widely applied in the shrimp and fish culture industry for its advantages in water-saving, growth improvement, and water quality purification. However, The BFT system usually takes a long time to establish, and the extra carbon source input increases the maintenance cost of the system. In this study, we aimed to develop a low-cost and high-efficient BFT system for Litopenaeus vannamei by applying bacteria that could promote the formation of BFT and utilize cheap carbon sources. Three bioflocculant-producing bacteria strains (M13, M15, and M17) have been screened from a cellulolytic strain collection. All three strains have been identified as Bacillus spp. and can use sugarcane bagasse (SB) as a carbon source, which is a cheap byproduct of the sucrose industry in the tropic area of China. Compared to sucrose, the addition of SB and the three strains could improve the biofloc formation rate, biofloc size distribution, ammonia removal rate, and the growth performance of the shrimps. These results suggest that the bioflocculant and cellulase-producing bacteria strains could promote the biofloc formation and the growth of shrimps by using SB as an economic substitute carbon source in the BFT shrimp culture system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the differences and change rules of soil nutrients and enzyme activities in Larix gmelinii forest in the cold temperate zone, so as to provide scientific basis and data basis for in-depth understanding of forest ecosystem functions and future development trends in the cold temperate forest ecotone in China. In this paper, four different types of larch forest (Betula platyphylla -Larix gmelinii, Rhododendron dauricum-Larix gmelinii, Larix gmelinii, and Larix gmelinii plantation) in Heilongjiang Zhongyangzhan Black-Billed Capercaillie Nature Reserve were selected as the research objects. Sampling was carried out by season, and the soil. chemical properties and enzyme activities ( catalase, acid phosphatase, urease, sucrase and cellulase) were determined in different seasons, and the dynamic changes with seasons were also explored. Results showed that: (1) Soil chemical properties and enzyme activities were significantly different in different forest types and seasons, and the changing trends were also different to some extent. (2)Soil acid phosphatase was significantly affected by the contents of soil total P, total N and available K. Soil catalase was significantly positively correlated with the contents of total N, available N, available K and available P. Soil sucrase was mainly affected by the contents of available P and available N. Soil urease and cellulase were most affected by soil organic carbon content. (3)The principal component analysis showed that there were significant differences in soil enzyme activities and soil chemical properties among the four forest types, and first principal component 1 could explain more than 50% of the variance variables. The soil chemical properties and enzyme activities in different Larix gmelinii were significantly different with the seasons, which were related to the accumulation of litter and the difference of vegetation types. Soil enzyme activities were correlated with soil chemical properties to varying degrees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Erosion significantly increased SOC-normalized phenol oxidase (PHO) activity in eroded plots, but not SOC-normalized β-1,4-Glucosidase (BG) activity at each site. • The SOC-normalized PHO activity explained more variance in carbon mineralization than BG. • The increased activity of normalized PHO in eroded areas potentially exacerbating the loss of soil carbon. The activities of soil carbon-degrading enzymes play an important role in determining carbon mineralization. Soil erosion is the most common form of soil degradation worldwide, but the responses of cellulase enzymes and oxidative enzymes to erosion remain elusive. Here, we studied the effects of erosion on β-1,4-Glucosidase (BG) and phenol oxidase (PHO) activities as well as their contributions to carbon mineralization at three erosion hotspots in China. We found that erosion did not change SOC-normalized BG activity in both eroded plots and depositional plots, but significantly increased SOC-normalized PHO activity in eroded plots. The SOC-normalized PHO activity explained more variance in carbon mineralization than BG. Further analysis showed that the lignocellulose index (the ratio of PHO to the sum of BG and PHO) was closely related to microbial stoichiometric balance rather than the carbon composition under the impact of erosion. These results indicate that erosion may stimulate the utilization of recalcitrant carbon by microbial oxidase in eroded areas, potentially exacerbating the loss of soil carbon in slopes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Mycosystema is the property of Mycosystema Editorial Board and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera L.) is an unconventional forage with high crude protein content and is widely used in China. In order to evaluate the pattern of fermentation quality and the aerobic stability when inoculated with lactic acid bacteria, laboratory-scale silage was prepared. The experimental groups included a control group (CK), a Lactobacillus plantarum 'LC365283' (selected from paper mulberry silage) treatment (L1), a commercial inoculant Lactobacillus plantarum treatment (GF), a commercial inoculant Lactobacillus buchneri treatment (FR), a 3% molasses treatment (MO), a 150 U/g cellulase treatment (CE), and their combinations (MO + L1, MO + GF, MO + FR, CE + L1, CE + GF, and CE + FR). The changes in bacterial community and composition of the fermentation products were evaluated after being ensiled for 30 days and unsealed for 1, 3, 5, and 7 days. Compared with the CK, MO and CE, the silages treated with L1, MO + L1, and CE + L1 showed higher lactic acid concentrations, lower pH values, and lower ammonia nitrogen concentrations (p < 0.05). During the first 3 days of aerobic exposure, the pH values and organic acid content changed slightly in all treatments. The present study suggests that addition of L1 was better than commercial inoculum, and the paper mulberry silages could be well preserved after being unsealed for 3 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Edulis Fungi is the property of Acta Edulis Fungi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Stabilized fertilizers that contain nitrification inhibitors and/or urease inhibitors are widely used in China. A pot experiment was conducted to analyze soil enzymatic characteristics related to carbon and nitrogen turnover and metabolism under the use of rice straw and stabilized fertilizer. Results showed that stabilized fertilizer exhibited the highest yield production, panicle numbers, and above-ground biomass. Compared with urea treatment with straw, adding inhibitors reduced soil organic carbon and the enzyme activity related to acquisition of carbon, but increased soil organic carbon accumulation, rice yield, and above-ground biomass. Stabilized fertilizer increased protease activity; however, it decreased N-acetyl-β-glucosaminide. Addition of straw significantly increased dissolved organic and microbial biomass carbon or nitrogen, as well as the enzyme activities of α-D-glucosidase, β-D-glucosidase, β-Nacetyl-glucosidase, and cellulase at the seedling and tillering stages. The principal components analysis showed that the synthesis of extracellular enzyme related to carbon and nitrogen acquiring act as a proxy for straw decomposing under nitrogen conditions. The combination delayed the release of ammonia, which affected the carbon and nitrogen coupling by microbial organisms. These results demonstrated a relationship between soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics and soil enzymes in different fertilization management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endophytes may depend on degrading the plant cell wall with cellulases for their survival. Therefore, cellulase produced by endophytes may be useful in releasing the active ingredient of medicinal plants. Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant widely used in China and baicalin is one of its main active ingredients. In this study, fresh S. baicalensis Georgi was used to isolate endophytes, Congo red staining was used to screen cellulase-producing strains, and HPLC was used to determine the content of baicalin in S. baicalensis Georgi. As a result, a highly active strain of endophyte capable of the extraction of high levels of baicalin was obtained. The strain was named HG-5 and identified as Bacillus sp. Scanning electron microscopy analysis confirmed that the enzyme better promotes the dissolution of plant active ingredients. After optimizing the enzyme production and extraction processes, we found that when compared with the traditional extraction method, the baicalin yield was increased 79.31% after extraction with the HG-5 enzyme. The current study provides a novel approach and method for the use of endophyte cellulase to improve the extraction of compounds from medicinal plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the silage quality of forage soybean‐corn stover silage in the south of China. Forage soybean were combined manually with corn stover by ratios of R1 (25:75), R2 (50:50) and R3 (75:25) in fresh weight (FM) and ensiled in bag silos for 60 days at room temperature (20–25°C). All silages were treated without (control) or with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculant (G, Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus buchneri, 105 cfu/g, of FM), cellulase (C, 0.02% of FM) and C + G. R1 silage had appropriate V‐score value with high lactic acid content and low pH value and ammonia‐N (NH3‐N) content, undetectable levels of propionic acid (PA) and butyric acid (BA). C and C + G reduced undesirable microorganisms of aerobic bacteria, yeasts and molds, resulting in improved nutritive value of R2 silage, as indicated by lower neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber contents, and higher crude protein content, in vitro ruminal dry matter digestibility, gross energy and metabolizable energy values as compared to the control. Additives did not improve the quality of R3 silage with high pH value and NH3‐N content, BA and PA contents and undesirable microorganism counts. These results confirmed that high‐quality silage produced from mixtures (25:75) of forage soybean and corn stover in the south of China; additives (especially for C + G) could enhance the silage quality of forage soybean‐corn stover (50:50); and high proportion (>75%) of forage soybean was difficult to ensile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distiller’s grains serve as the important by-products in ethanol production, particularly on white spirits in China. Normally, the key grain can be processed in a solid-state fermentation, thereby to distill a mixture of grains and bran husks. After the processing, the distiller's grains can be remained readily available rich in organic matter, such as cellulose and protein. China can produce about 30 million tons of distiller's grains every year, as the consumption of white spirits increases. The discarded distiller's grains have become the waste of raw materials, further to pollute the environment, due to the lack of effective treatment methods. It is necessary to explore much more efficient disposal of distiller's grains. This study aims to explore the decomposition of distiller's grains, in order to obtain microorganisms with strong capacity of cellulose degradation in distillates. 39 strains of bacteria were isolated from in Chinese maotai-flavor fermented grains, Chinese mild-flavor fermented grains, Chinese strong-flavor Daqu starter and the soil of bamboo forest, using sodium carboxymethyl cellulose as the only carbon source. Six strains were quantitatively screened using Congo red staining and filter paper strip disintegration experiments for qualitative preliminary screening, combined with the endoglucanase, exoglucanase, and β-glucosidase enzyme activities produced by the strains. Based on morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular biological characterization, six cellulase-producing bacteria were identified as Bacillus licheniformis, Paenibacillus taichungensis, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, and Bacillus subtilis, Sphingobacterium thalpophilum, Streptomyces phaeochromogenes. The optimum lees cellulose-degrading strain was further determined the B2 strain (Bacillus subtilis) in the tests of pH, temperature, and alcohol stress. Specifically, Bacillus subtilis B2 strain has demonstrated a good tolerance, while grew well in an environment of pH value 3.0, at the temperature of 44 ℃, and the alcohol content of 4% by volume. According to the single-factor test, a Box-Benhnken response surface method was used to optimize the processing parameters in the treatments. The optimal process conditions were determined to be 71 g/L distiller's grains, the temperature of 37 ℃, pH value 6.4, and the inoculation size of 8%, for the degradation of distiller's grains. In addition, the degradation rate of distiller's grains can reach 15.23% in this case. The findings demonstrated that the selected Bacillus subtilis can effectively decompose distiller's grains, and thereby be expected to provide a promising application potential in the disposal of distiller's grains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the cold regions of China, many lignocellulose-rich agricultural residues, such as corn stover, cannot be efficiently degraded due to low temperature. As the component of cellulose in corn stover was approximately 50%, the degradation of cellulose was considered as one of the most important processes in degrading corn stover. In this work, a psychrotrophic bacterial strain was screened from the soil in the cold region of China and identified as a Pseudomonas sp. named LKR-1, which is able to produce cold-active cellulase. To improve cellulase production, the fermentation conditions were optimized using the Box–Behnken design of the response surface methodology. The maximum cellulase activity was observed after 4 days of incubation at 13.7 °C and pH 7.6 with 8.18 g/L cellulose. HPLC, GC–MS and FTIR spectroscopy were used to describe the changes in residual cellulose and the products of cellulose degradation. In addition to glucose and cellobiose, 24 kinds of compounds were detected during cellulose degradation by psychrotrophic Pseudomonas sp. LKR-1. Furthermore, on the basis the data and references, the possible pathways of degradation by the psychrotrophic strain LKR-1 were speculated, which will help clarify and explain the mechanism of cellulose degradation by psychrotrophic bacteria. This result will provide valuable information that contributes to the exploration of the microbial degradation of corn stover polysaccharides in cold areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, cellulose was extracted from potato pulp, a low-efficiently utilized by-product from potato starch industry, by a combined alkali and sodium sulfite treatment. Its physicochemical properties were characterized and compared with cellulose from corn stalk. The yield and purity of cellulose from potato pulp were determined to be 24.74% and 81.34% respectively. Cellulose from potato pulp had more loosened and porous structure, lower crystallinity index and larger specific surface area (SSA) compared with cellulose from corn stalk. It also provided the highest accessibility to cellulase (5.7 mg protein/g glucan) and had the highest enzymatic digestibility (with glucose yield of 88.46%). Maximum adsorption capacity (W max) and equilibrium constant (K) were obtained by fitting the adsorption data with the Langmuir adsorption isotherm, suggesting that cellulose from potato pulp had the highest cellulase adsorption efficiency. The data further indicated that the presence of non-cellulosic components, especially for pectin, appeared to have a considerable effect on the hydrolysis by cellulase due to non-productive adsorption. State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue Wuxi 214122, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. • Cellulose was extracted from potato pulp by a combined alkali and sodium sulfite treatment. • Cellulose from potato pulp is characterized with more loosened and porous structure, lower crystallinity index and molecular weight, and larger specific surface area. • Cellulose from potato pulp has higher enzymatic digestibility than cellulose from corn stalk and other biomass. • Non-specific binding to hemicellulose and pectin of cellulase inhibits the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose contained in potato pulp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Agricultural Science & Technology (1008-0864) is the property of Journal of Agricultural Science & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: China is the largest sweet potato producer and exporter in the world. Sweet potato residues (SPRs) separated after extracting starch account for more than 10 % of the total dry matter of sweet potatoes. In China, more than 2 million tons of SPRs cannot be utilized, and the unutilized SPRs are perishable and result in environmental pollution. Thus, an environmentally friendly and highly efficient process for bioethanol production from SPRs should be developed. Results: The swelling behaviour of cellulose causes high-gravity sweet potato residues to be recalcitrant to enzymatic hydrolysis. Cellulase plays a major role in viscosity reduction and glucose production. In contrast, pectinase has a minor role in viscosity reduction but acts as a "helper protein" to assist cellulase in liberating glucose, especially at low cellulase activity levels. In total, 153.46 and 168.13 g/L glucose were produced from high-gravity SPRs with cellulase and a mixture of cellulase and pectinase, respectively. These hydrolysates were fermented to form 73.37 and 79.00 g/L ethanol, respectively. Each kilogram of dry SPR was converted to form 209.62 and 225.71 g of ethanol, respectively. Conclusion: The processes described in this study have an enormous potential for industrial production of bioethanol because they are environmentally friendly, highly productive, economic with low cost, and can be easily manipulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant biomass represents a vast resource of carbon. In China, it is estimated that 1 billion tons of biomass is available each year. The conversion of these biomass resources into bioethanol or other bio-based chemicals, if fully commercialized, may reduce at least 200 million tons of crude oil import. Therefore, bioethanol and bulk chemicals are the core components of the biomanufacturing using plant biomass as carbon sources. Since the foundation of Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (TIB, CAS), we have proposed a strategy of "two replacements and one upgrade". Utilizing renewable carbon resources instead of non-renewable petrochemical resources to produce bulk chemicals is included in our strategy. It is a long-term effort for TIB to develop plant biomass biomanufacturing to produce renewable chemicals. Continuous and systematic research was carried out in these two fields, and significant progress has been made in the past 10 years since the foundation of TIB. Here we review the progress of TIB in this field, mainly focusing on fungal system, including the mechanism of cellulose degradation by filamentous fungi and the strategy of consolidated bioprocessing of biomass. Based on this, malic acid, fuel ethanol and other bulk chemicals were produced through one-step conversion of biomass. Besides, the commercial processes for production of bulk chemicals such as succinic and lactic acid from renewable carbon resources, which were developed by TIB, were also be discussed. These examples clearly demonstrated that bulk chemicals can be obtained from biomass instead of from petroleum. Research on plant biomass biotransformation and renewable chemicals production in TIB has provided an alternative route for the development of low-carbon bioeconomy in China, and will contribute to the goal of carbon neutralization of China.

Xylitol production from corncob hemicellulose is a popular process in China. Microbial conversion of xylose to xylitol, as a biological process with many advantages, has drawn increasing attention. As a by-product from the manufacturing of xylitol, corncob cellulosic residues are produced in very large amounts and represent an environmental problem. As a result, considering the large amount of xylitol production in China, the conversion of corncob cellulosic residues has become a widespread issue having to be tackled. After the hemicellulose in corncob has been hydrolyzed for xylitol production, the corncob cellulosic residue is porous and can easily be hydrolyzed by cellulases into glucose and further converted to ethanol, another high-added-value chemical. Based on the latest technology advancements in xylitol, cellulase, and ethanol production, the integrated production of ethanol from corncob cellulosic residues appears as a promising way to improve the profit of the whole xylitol production process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aquatic macrophytes such as Elodea nuttalli, Vallisneria natans, Alterranthera philoxerides that are widely distributed in water environments of Lake Taihu basin were used as substrate of solid state fermentation to produce crude protein extraction. The effects of single-strain fermentation and mixed strains fermentation of aquatic macrophytes on the production of crude protein extraction and cellulase activity are analyzed, respectively. The experimental results showed that the crude protein content of products with mixed strains fermentation is higher than that with single-strain fermentation. The crude protein content of V. natans fermented by Aspergillus niger and Candida utilis is the highest among the aquatic macrophytes examined in this study. V. natans is used as the substrate to be fermented by C. utilis and A. niger; their ratio is 1:1 at 28±1°C for 72h. The crude protein of fermented V. natans is as high as 49.54%, with 128.82% of its increase rate. The cellulose activity reaches a maximum of 4.21μ/ml at 84h of fementation of V. natans. Thus, the solid state fermentation of aquatic macrophytes to produce crude protein extraction is promising, which make aquatic macrophytes a potential resource and thus is beneficial to the long-term ecological restoration of eutrophic lakes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Soil extracellular enzymes play a central role in mediating the decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM), and the activities of cellulase and ligninase therein quantify the preference of microbial carbon (C) utilization. However, the responses of cellulase and ligninase activities to plant detritus input change remain uncertain. Here, we investigated the activities of cellulase and ligninase after two years of detritus input manipulations (the detritus input and removal treatment (DIRT) include a control without litter manipulation, CK; double litter, DL; no litter, NL; no roots, NR; no litter and no roots, NRNL) in a coniferous forest in subtropical China. The litter removal treatments had negligible effect on cellulase activity, while the DL treatment significantly increased it by 55.7% compared to the CK treatment. The NL and NRNL treatments increased the activity of ligninase by 60.1% and 46.9%, respectively. However, the DL treatment did not significantly affect the activity of ligninase. Consequently, the ratio of ligninase to cellulase significantly increased under the litter removal treatments. Notably, the specific enzyme activity (the amount of enzyme produced per unit microbial biomass) increased under the litter removal treatment, but the DL treatment did not significantly affect it. The increased ratio of ligninase to cellulase under the litter removal treatments was primarily driven by the increased recalcitrance of substrates and higher proportion of fungal and gram-positive bacterial community. Moreover, the specific enzyme activity and ratio of ligninase to cellulase were positively correlated with microbial metabolic quotient (q CO 2). Overall, our results provided an empirical evidence that microorganisms could shift substrate-using strategy by upregulating the production of ligninase with the reduction of plant detritus input. More importantly, the enhanced activity or proportion of ligninase resulted in higher q CO 2 , and thereby can accelerate soil C loss once plant detritus input is decreased caused by some global change drivers. [Display omitted] • Litter removal enhanced ligninase activity but not cellulase activity. • Litter addition increased cellulase activity but no ligninase activity. • Ligninase to cellulase ratio was increased by litter removal. • Ligninase to cellulase ratio relied on C quality and microbial community structure. • The q CO 2 was positivity correlated with the ratio of ligninase to cellulase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Combined pretreatment of cellulase and pectinase destroyed olive cell wall structure. • Decreased viscosity of olive paste promoted the oil droplets aggregation. • Mixed enzymatic pretreatment enhanced the oil yield (4.4%, w/w) from olive paste. Commercial enzymatic pretreatment is being classically used for enhancing the oil extraction yield in the olive oil industry in China. Nevertheless, the mechanism is not yet clearly defined. The aim was to study the action of pectinase and cellulase for improving the oil yield from the aspects of oil droplets coalescence and rheological properties changes of olive paste during malaxation process. From confocal laser scanning microscopy imaging, the bound oil droplets were released and gradually coalesced into larger droplets, eventually formed a continuous oil phase with enzymatic pretreatment. Furthermore, the mixed enzymatic pretreatment effectively decreased viscosity of the olive pastes and promoted the depolymerization and solubilization of pectic polymers involved in the cell-cell adhesion, thus further enhanced the oil extraction yield from 7.15 % to 11.68 % (w/w). Finally, the mixed enzymatic pretreatment improved the droplet release and coalescence, reduced the viscosity of olive paste, and increased the oil yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liuyang Douchi is a kind of traditional fermented Aspergillus -type Douchi in China for excellent favor. However, studies on the microbial diversity and the characterization of predominate fungi of Liuyang Douchi are few. In present study, the Illumina HiSeq sequencing was performed to reveal the fluctuation characteristics of microbial diversity during fermentation. Results showed that Staphylococcus (33.86%), Staphylococcaceae_unclassified (27.39%) and Pediococcus (8.80%) were the dominated bacteria, while Petromyces (74.57%), Rhizopus (10.93%) and Penicillium (2.68%) were the most predominant fungi during entire fermentation period. Intriguingly, Petromyces was negatively correlated with Alternaria, Saccharomyces and Saccharomycetales_unclassified. Further, four non-aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus strains were first identified and isolated from Liuyang Douchi according to phylogenetic and macroscopic characteristics. These four Aspergillus flavus displayed high cellulase and protease activities, but weak lipase activity. This study could contribute to the quality control of Liuyang Douchi by providing an overview of the microbial diversity. • Staphylococcus and Pediococcus was the dominated bacteria in qu-making period and pile fermentation, respectively. • Petromyces were the predominant fungi in Douchi that was negative correlated with Alternaria and Saccharomyces. • Four Aspergillus flavus strains isolated from Douchi displayed high cellulase and protease activity. • No aflatoxin B1 was detected in these four strains in conditions provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) are endangered animals and are uniquely inhabitant in China. These rare animals have gradually developed bamboo-eating adaptability through persistent evolution. Intestinal microbes play an important role in the digestion, absorption, metabolism, and development of giant pandas especially by facilizing the degradation of bamboo polysaccharides such as cellulose. Currently, genes directly related to cellulose degradation have not been identified in the genome of giant panda, and cellulose digestion is therefore likely dependent on intestinal microbes. This study analyzed the changes in intestinal microbial structure of giant pandas (cubs, sub-adults, and adults) in different developmental stages. The impact was also assessed with the changes in food composition probed into the succession regularity of intestinal microbes and the activities of intestinal flora on the digestion and utilization of cellulose in bamboo. The interaction between intestinal microbial flora and giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is indispensable for the healthy development of giant pandas. In this study, we analysed the diversity of bacteria and fungi in the intestines of six giant pandas (two pandas in each development stage) with a high-throughput sequencing technique to expand the relative variation in abundance of dominant microbes and potential cellulose-degradation genera in the intestines of the giant pandas and to explore the correlation between dominant microbial genera in the intestines and cellulose digestion activities of giant pandas. The results showed that the intestinal bacterial diversity of young giant pandas was higher than that of sub-adult and adult giant pandas, and Shannon's diversity index was about 2.0. The intestinal bacterial diversity of giant pandas from sub-adult to adult (mature stage) stage showed an increasing trend, but the intestinal fungal diversity showed no considerable regular relations with their ages. The microbial composition and abundance of giant pandas changed in different developmental stages. Pearson correlation analysis and path analysis showed that there was a close relationship between the dominant microbes in the intestines of giant pandas, and the interaction between microbial genera might affect the cellulose digestion ability of giant pandas. Generally, the digestibility of cellulose degraders in pandas was still insufficient, with low enzymic activity and immature microbial structure. Therefore, the utilization and digestion of bamboo cellulose still might not be a main source of energy for pandas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrazine has been extensively used in China's agricultural production for a long time and the potential risks to the environment have received widespread attention. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the continuous application of atrazine on soil herbicide residues, soil enzyme activity, and microbial community structure, as well as to provide a theoretical reference for the appropriate application of atrazine and the improvement of soil. Previous studies have focused on the effects of atrazine on soil microorganisms, but the experiments used higher doses than recommended. To reveal the actual effects of atrazine on soil microorganisms, the recommended dose of atrazine was used for 0, 1, and 2 years. We studied atrazine residues and enzyme activity in the soil, and phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) were measured to study the structure of the soil microbiome. The results show that the rate of atrazine degradation occurred rapidly after the initial administration, and with the increase in continuous administration, its half-life decreased from 24.6 d in the first year to 14.1 d in the second year. The application of atrazine significantly affected soil urease activity and cellulase activity, but it had no significant effect on saccharase activity. The continuous application of atrazine had a significant effect on the biomass of cultured bacteria in soil, but not on the biomass of culturable fungi and actinomycetes in the soil. Furthermore, the results of PLFA analysis show that the application of atrazine had a significant effect on the microbial structure of the soil. These results indicate that the significant increase in the degradation rate of atrazine during continuous application is related to the high adaptability of the soil microbiome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel cellulase-producing actinomycete, designated strain NEAU-H7 T , was isolated from coconut palm rhizosphere soil collected from Wenchang City, Hainan Province, PR China. A polyphasic taxonomic study was carried out to establish the status of this strain. Results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strain NEAU-H7 T belonged to the genus Actinoplanes , with highest similarity to Actinoplanes hulinensis NEAU-M9 T (99.2 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity). The diagnostic sugars in cell hydrolysates were determined to be ribose, galactose and mannose. The major fatty acids (>10%) were C 16 : 0 , C 18 : 1  ω 9 c and C 18 : 0 . The predominant menaquinones were identified as MK-9(H 4 ) and MK-9(H 6 ). The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol and two phosphatidylinositol mannosides. The amino acid of the cell-wall peptidoglycan was determined to be meso -diaminopimelic acid. The DNA G+C content was 71.2 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis using 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain NEAU-H7 T formed a stable phyletic line with A. hulinensis NEAU-M9 T . However, whole-genome phylogeny showed strain NEAU-H7 T formed a stable phyletic line with A. hulinensis NEAU-M9 T (99.2%), Actinoplanes campanulatus DSM 43148 T (98.6%), Actinoplanes capillaceus DSM 44859 T (98.3%) and Actinoplanes lobatus DSM 43150 T (97.6%). The digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) results between them were 53.6 (50.9-56.2), 54.1 (51.3-56.9), 53.1 (50.3-55.9) and 52.9 % (50.1-55.6 %), and whole-genome average nucleotide identity (ANI) values between them were 93.7, 93.6, 93.5 and 93.5 %. The low dDDH and ANI values demonstrated that strain NEAU-H7 T could be distinguished from its reference strains. Moreover, genomic analysis indicated that the strain NEAU-H7 T had the potential to decompose cellulose and produce bioactive compounds. On the basis of morphological, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic characteristics, strain NEAU-H7 T is proposed to represent a novel species of the genus Actinoplanes , with the name Actinoplanes flavus sp. nov. The type strain is NEAU-H7 T (=CCTCC AA 2020034 T =DSM 112042 T ).

Mangrove has been destroyed and reforestation is often undertaken, but whether a regenerated forest could restore its ecological function is not clear. This study compares microbial community structure and function in sediment of the 17-years old natural regenerated mangrove forest (Y17) with the original forest (Y74). No significant differences in phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles and microbial metabolism of most carbon substrates were found between these two forests. However, activities of dehydrogenase, protease, cellulase and phosphatase were lower in Y17 than Y74, and some specific microbial functions were also different. Both forests exhibited significant seasonal differences in enzyme activities and microbial characteristics, but such difference was larger in Y17 than Y74, indicating the regenerated forest was more sensitive to season. Correspondence analysis based on PLFA profiles and enzyme activities revealed the microbial community in Y17 was comparable to Y74, suggesting sediment microbial characteristics in natural regenerated mangroves could be restored. Unlabelled Image • Enzyme activity, Biolog and PLFA were used to indicate microbial characteristics. • Natural regenerated and original mangroves had similar sediment microbial community. • Some specific microbial functions differed between regenerated and original forests. • Microbial community in regenerated forest was more sensitive to seasonal changes. • Microbial community was significantly affected by nutrients in sediment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colletotrichum fructicola , is an important fungal pathogen that has been reported to cause pear (Pyrus) anthracnose in China, resulting in substantial economic losses due to severe defoliation and decreased fruit quality and yield. In the search for novel strategies to control pear anthracnose, Lysobacter strains have drawn a great deal of attention due to their high-level production of extracellular enzymes and bioactive metabolites. In the present study, we compared four Lysobacter strains including Lysobacter enzymogenes OH11, Lysobacter antibioticus OH13, Lysobacter gummosus OH17 and Lysobacter brunescens OH23 with respect to their characteristics and activity against pear anthracnose caused by C. fructicola. The results showed that the evaluated Lysobacter species presented various colony morphologies when cultured on different media and were proficient in producing protease, chitinase, cellulase and glucanase, with L. enzymogenes OH11 showing typical twitching motility. L. enzymogenes OH11 and L. gummosus OH17 showed potent activity against the tested fungi and oomycetes. L. gummosus OH17 produced HSAF (heat-stable antifungal factor) which was demonstrated to be a major antifungal factor in L. enzymogenes OH11 and C3. Furthermore, L. antibioticus OH13 and L. brunescens OH23 exhibited strong antibacterial activity, especially against Xanthomonas species. Cultures of L. enzymogenes OH11 protected pear against anthracnose caused by C. fructicola , and the in vivo results indicated that treatment with an L. enzymogenes OH11 culture could decrease the diameter of lesions in pears by 35 % and reduce the severity of rot symptoms compared to that observed in the control. In the present study, we systemically compared four Lysobacter strains and demonstrated that they have strong antagonistic activity against a range of pathogens, demonstrating their promise in the development of biological control agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• HPLs showed an increase of S/G ratio, hydrophobicity and phenolic hydroxyl group at high severity. • A higher pretreated temperature led to a higher binding affinity of residue lignin to cellulase. • A higher pretreated temperature resulted in a decrease of glucose yield by 8–43 % than Avicel. • This study will provide a careful selection and control of hydrothermal pretreatment severity. To obtain biofuels or small molecule chemicals from biomass, cellulose is a challenge and enzymatic cellulase is normally required. In this study, Pleioblastus amarus (P. amarus) with high abundance and fast growth speed distributed in the southwest of China, was subjected to the hydrothermal pretreatment at different temperatures. The syringyl/guaiacyl (S/G) ratio of the hydrothermally pretreated lignins (HPLs) was decreased from 0.91 to 0.44, and the hydrophobicity of HPLs was increased from 1.25 to 10.90 L/g when the pretreatment temperature was increased from 160 to 200 °C. In addition, the higher content of phenolic hydroxyl groups in lignin at high pretreatment severity also contributed to the higher non-productive binding between lignin and cellulase. The Langmuir isotherm suggested that a higher treatment temperature led to the increase of binding affinity between HPL and cellulase. Finally, the uses of HPL160, HPL180, HPL200, when pretreated at 160, 180, and 200 °C, respectively, had a glucose yield of 52.7 %, 34.9 % and 32.6 %, respectively, which was lower than that of Avicel alone in the enzymatic saccharification process. This study provides a significant selection and control of hydrothermal pretreatment severity for achieving a high cellulose saccharification yield for bioethanol production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrazine has been used on Chinese farmlands for a long time and over a wide range. The concentration of atrazine (1.86–1100 mg kg−1) has exceeded the allowable limit in the soil (1.0 mg kg−1), and concern is increasing about the potential harm to farmland soil. Four treatments (AT 0 , AT 6 , AT 10 , AT 16) were established to reveal the effects of the long-term application of atrazine on soil health. The results showed a nonlinear regulation of the atrazine residue concentrations in the four treatments. The highest concentration of atrazine residue was in AT 6 , at 167 mg kg−1, and the lowest concentration of atrazine residue was in AT 16 , at 102 mg kg−1, but there was no significant difference between AT 10 and AT 16. The soil urease activity decreased significantly with the increase in the years of atrazine application, the saccharase and cellulase activities in the AT 6 were significantly higher than those observed in the other three treatments, the catalase activity gradually decreased with the increase in atrazine application years, and the activity in AT 6 was significantly higher than that in AT 16. A total of 238 genera were identified by Illumina MiSeq sequencing, and 28 dominant genera were screened. Atrazine significantly increased the relative abundance of Actinobacteria and contributed to the relative abundance of Rubrobacter , Blastococcus , Promicromonospora , Jiangella , Psychroglaciecola and Acetobacteraceae_ uncultured , which exhibited significantly higher abundance in AT 16 than in AT 0. Although there were atrazine-degrading bacteria in the soil, and the atrazine residue decreased with the increase in application years, the concentration of the atrazine residue was still nearly 100 times higher than the allowable limit in the soil, which is a great threat to the soil health. Image 10099 • The results show a non-linear regulation of atrazine residue concentration in the four treatments. • Atrazine can inhibit urease, saccharase and cellulase activities but stimulate catalase activity. • There are twenty-eight genera relevant to atrazine degradation. • Atrazine residue is the main factor affecting the relative abundance of the genera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metamorphosis is a vital developmental event in the life cycle of molluscs and involves extensive morphological and physiological changes. Remodeling of the digestive system is suggested to occur anticipatorily to enable the larva to shift its diet (from filter feeding on microalgae to feeding on small bivalves) after metamorphosis. Changes in the profiles and activities of digestive enzymes, the main executors of digestion, can reflect substantial remodeling of the digestive system. Artificial aquaculture of Rapana venosa , an important commercial shellfish in China, has been hampered because the transition of its food habit during metamorphosis makes determining the timing and dose for bait regulation difficult. In the present study, full-length cDNA sequences encoding cellulase and trypsin were characterized, and cellulase and trypsin mRNA expression levels were analyzed. Additionally, patterns in the activities of six digestive enzymes, including trypsin and cellulase, were investigated throughout the early developmental stage of R. venosa. In the present study, the full-length cDNA of the cellulase gene, comprising 2,086 bp, was found to contain a 1,719-bp open reading frame encoding 572 amino acids, and the full-length cDNA of the trypsin gene was found to be 1,587 bp in length and contained an 855-bp open reading frame encoding 284 amino acids. Quantitative real-time PCR showed that the cellulase levels in R. venosa increased beginning at the early intramembrane veliger stage, whereas cellulase activity was significantly increased in the one-spiral whorl stage. The mRNA expression and activity of trypsin were greatly increased in the juvenile stage (postlarva), whereas those of cellulase were decreased during this stage, which indicated functional changes in the digestive system during larval food habit transition. Our results showed that remodeling of the digestive system occurs prior to metamorphosis and suggest that animal bait should be provided as early as possible to R. venosa in the four-spiral whorl stage to meet its nutritional requirements for the development of its digestive system and to ensure successful metamorphosis of competent larvae. • The activity and expression of cellulase and trypsin obviously changed in development, suggesting they may be the major digestive enzymes in Rapana venosa. • The trypsin and cellulase functional changes in the digestive system during larval food habit transition. • This study is helpful for designing diets and developing feeding strategies to increase the larval survival of Rapana venosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lack of effective degradation approaches of Chinese distillers' grains (CDGs) produced by Chinese liquor industry results in environmental pollution and economic waste. Cellulase activity was characterized at different temperatures to find thermostable cellulase-producing bacteria, and microbial co-culture method was used to improve the degradation of CDGs. Incubation of endoglucanase produced by Bacillus licheniformis A5 at 80 °C for 120 min showed 82% residual enzyme activity. Notably, enzyme activity increased by 30%-70% after co-culturing Bacillus licheniformis A5 and Bacillus subtilis B2. The two strains increased degradation rate of CDGs by 70% compared with optimized results of Bacillus subtilis B2 culture alone, and increased the reducing sugar content to 16.6 mg/mL. In addition, 2% ethanol increased degradation rate of CDGs by 15% in co-culture. The findings of this study imply that Bacillus licheniformis A5 acts synergistically with Bacillus subtilis B2 to improve degradation of CDGs., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The solid wastes of Chinese materia dedica industrialization represented by Salvia miltiorrhiza residues have a strong small-molecule bio-recalcitrance in the process of high-value utilization of biotransformation. Highly tolerant strains were bred to break bio-recalcitrance of Salvia miltiorrhiza residues and produce high-value added cellulose, which has a significant significance for recycling and industrial utilization of solid waste. In this study, a strain of fungus, Penicillium expansum SZ13, was found with small-molecule antibacterial substance tanshinone contained in Salvia miltiorrhiza residues by a biological method. The optimal enzyme production process and peak period of SZ13 were determined. It was found that SZ13 could maintain peak enzyme production for 5 days by degrading residues under the conditions of temperature 35 ℃, rotation speed 180 r·min~(-1), 5% of residues addition, and 5% seed solution addition. Meanwhile, the ability of SZ13 to degrade the enzyme production of multiple types of residues was explored. The results showed a high enzyme activity and stable enzyme production of SZ13 in the process of degrading residues. SZ13 could efficiently utilize various types of Chinese medicine residues, such as Salvia miltiorrhiza residues, to realize the high-value utilization of cellulose in multiple types of residues.

A Gram-stain-positive, aerobic bacterium, designated CPCC 204705 T , was isolated from a desert soil sample, collected from the Badain Jaran desert. Growth of strain CPCC 204705 T was observed at pH 6.0-8.0 and 15-37 °C, with optimal growth at 28 °C and pH 7.0. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain CPCC 204705 T belonged to the genus Cellulomonas , showing the highest similarity (98.54 %) of 16S rRNA gene sequence to Cellulomonas oligotrophica JCM 17534 T . The peptidoglycan type was A4 β , containing d-ornithine and d-glutamic acids as diagnostic amino acids. Rhamnose and galactose were detected in the whole-cell hydrolysate as diagnostic sugars. The major cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C 15 : 0 , anteiso-C 15 : 1 A, C 14 : 0 and C 16 : 0 . The major menaquinone was MK-9 (H 4 ) and the polar lipid system contained diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol mannoside, one unidentified lipid, one unidentified aminolipid and two unidentified aminophospholipids. The DNA-DNA hybridization value between strain CPCC 204705 T and C. oligotrophica JCM 17534 T was 7.1±0.4 %, and the value of average nucleotide identity between these two strains was 79.8 %. The DNA G+C content of strain CPCC 204705 T was 75.4 mol%. Based on the results of physiological experiments, chemotaxonomic data, phylogenetic analysis and DNA-DNA hybridization value, strain CPCC 204705 T should be classified as a novel Cellulomonas species. The name Cellulomonas telluris sp. nov. is proposed, with strain CPCC 204705 T (=DSM 105430 T =KCTC 39974 T ) as the type strain.

Fungi are the most suitable cellulase producers attributing to its ability to produce a complete cellulase system. 33 Genus, 175 Species fungi were isolated from Sanya mangrove, Hainan, China. Using congo red cellulose (CMC) medium, five fungi of cellulose-degrading were selected for further study. Molecular biology and morphological identification showed that all of these five fungi belong to Aspergillus fungi. The cellulase produced by these fungi were monitored during liquid state fermentation. The optimum conditions study for enzyme production illustrated that the highest activities appeared at pH 3.0, 35°C after fermentation for 3 days. Beyond that, the enzyme activity of mixed fungi is 11-26% higher than pure. The study demonstrated that mixed culture improved the hydrolysis of fungi cellulase.

Pu-erh tea, a kind of well-known tea from the ancient time, is originally produced in the Yunnan Lanchan River basin through a special solid state fermentation by fungi. It uses sun-dried green tea as its starting materials. To investigate the variation of composition and spectral properties of polysaccharide during solid state fermentation of pu-erh tea by using Saccharomyces cerevisiae as preponderant starter and using sun-dried green tea as materials in the present study. The results showed that the content of water soluble polysaccharide was increased, and the activity of hydrolase such as cellulase, pectinase and glucomylase were also enhanced. The content of neutral sugar increased with the ferment time increasing and the M(w) of raw polysaccharide showed significant difference during fermentation. The main polysaccharide TPS2 and TPS1 were isolated and purified from pu-erh tea and its materials by DEAE-52 and Sephadex G-150 column chromatography. TPS2 contains the higher content of uronic acid, but TPS1 contains the higher contents of neutral sugar and protein. Monosaccharide analysis by GC-MS revealed that TPS1 and TPS2 were composed of arabinose, galactose, glucose, rhamnose, xylose and mannose with molar ratios of 24.2 : 23.6 : 5.9 : 3.2 : 1.8 : 1.1 and 19.3 : 26.9 : 3.2 : 2.7 : 1.3 : 5.5, respectively. The average molecular weight of TPS1 and TPS2 was 1.68 x 10(4) and 1.21 x 10(4) Daltons, respectively. UV scanning spectrum showed that TPS1 and TPS2 had no characteristic absorption between 200 and 400 nm wavelength, it suggested that they contain trace protein. IR spectrum of TPS1 and TPS2 demonstrated that pyranoid rings were contained in them. As shown in the image of atomic force microscope, the molecular appearance of TPS1 and TPS2 resembled islands and apparently consisted of conglomerations. The height of conglomerations of TPS2 was about 40 nm and the length or width was 0.5-0.8 microm, while the height of conglomerations of TPS1 was about 4nm and the length or width was 0.2-0.4 microm. TPS2 shows sheet conglomerations with rough surface, but TPS1 shows squama conglomerations with smooth surface in the image of scanning electron micrograph. The experimental data suggested that the variation of composition and spectral properties of polysaccharide isolated from pu-erh tea and its materials owed to the action of microorganism and humid and thermal action for long time process.