SHORT-FIBER FORMATION DURING CELLULOSE DEGRADATION BY CELLULOLYTIC FUNGI

All cell-free filtrates of 26 fungal strains containning cellulase act ivities degraded native cellulose to both reducing sugar and insoluble short fibres. Low-molecular components from the crude filtrates could also degrade native cellulose into short fibres, not accompanied with the production of reducing sugar. Short fibre formation played an imp ortant role in cellulose degradation to make the substrate more access ible to attack of cellulases.