Cellulases (CMCases) and polyphenol oxidases from thermophilic Bacillus spp. isolated from compost

• Published in: Soil biology & biochemistry 2006, Vol.38 (9), p.2963-2966
• Main Authors: Mayende, Lungisa, Wilhelmi, Brendan S., Pletschke, Brett I.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Bacillus (bacteria); Biochemistry and biology; Biological and medical sciences; catechol oxidase; Cellulases; Chemical, physicochemical, biochemical and biological properties; Compost; composts; enzyme activity; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Other nutrients. Amendments. Solid and liquid wastes. Sludges and slurries; Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils; Polyphenol oxidases; soil bacteria; Soil science; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; temperature; Thermophiles; thermophilic bacteria
• ISSN: 0038-0717; 1879-3428
• DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2006.03.019

In composting, organic matter is degraded by cellulases and ligninolytic enzymes at temperatures typically above 50 °C. This study isolated thermophilic microorganisms from a compost system that were then screened for cellulase and polyphenol oxidase activity. Temperature optima for the cellulases and polyphenol oxidases were determined as 70 and 40 °C, respectively. Maximal cellulase activity was determined as 1.333 mg glucose released ml −1 min −1. Maximal polyphenol oxidase activity attained was 5.111 nmol phenol ml −1 min −1. Cellulases were found to be stable over a period of 1 h. The isolated compost microorganisms were identified as strains of Bacillus using 16S ribosomal DNA sequence analysis.