Abstract
Strains producing higher levels of cellulolytic enzymes were selected from among 520 strains of plant pathogenic fungi, Fusarium species, and F. oxysporum strain SUF850 was found to be the best producer. When strain SUF850 was cultured using one of three polysaccharides, Avicel, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) or xylan, as a carbon source, the culture filtrate contained degrading activities toward all three substrates, i.e., irrespective of the carbon source used. From the culture filtrate of Avicel-grown cells, four distinct enzymes were purified to homogeneity, as judged on SDS-PAGE. They were designated as CMCase I, CMCase II, p-nitrophenyl-β-D-cellobiosidase and xylanase, and the characteristics of the individual enzymes were examined and compared.
