LOW-TEMPERATURE-ACTIVE CELLULASE PRODUCED BY ACREMONIUM-ALCALOPHILUM - JCM-7366 - NOTE

A fungus which produced alkaline cellulase was isolated from soil in K anagawa prefecture, Japan, using cellulose as a substrate, under alkal ine conditions. The fungus was identified as Acremonium sp [Acremonium sp. (A. sp.) was reported as a new species by Okada et al. (Trans. My col. Soc. Japan, 34, 171-185 (1993)), and given the name Acremonium al calophilum JCM 7366.] The characteristics of crude cellulase of A. sp. were studied. The fungus produced CMCase and xylanase, whose activiti es were found even at 0 degrees C and under both alkaline and acidic c onditions. The maximal activities of the low-temperature-active CMCase and xylanase were obtained at 40 degrees C and pH 7.0, the maximal pH at 0 degrees C being the same as at 40 degrees C. At 0 degrees C, the activities of these enzymes were retained at more than 20% in the cas e of CMCase, and more than 40% in the case of xylanase, the activities at 40 degrees C. Low-temperature-active CMCase and xylanase were indu ced in the presence of glucose as a carbon source, but not in the pres ence of cellobiose and sophorose as carbon sources.