Microbial Decomposition of

cellulose
• Cellulose is a carbohydrate
• polymer of glucose bound together by β-linkages
• Long, linear chain
• No branching
• There are about 2000 to 10,000 and on occasion
as many as 15,000 glucose units in the molecule.
• MW is from 200,000 to about 2.4 million.
 Cellulose occurs in

• seed bearing plants

• In the algae
• In many fungi
• In the cyst of some protozoa
• It is especially prominent in woody substances and
in straw and leaves.
Cellulose breakdown by wood fungi. A wood fungus
growing on an oak log. All wood fungi have the enzyme cellulase,
which breaks the (1→4) glycosidic bonds in cellulose, such that
wood is a source of metabolizable sugar (glucose) for the fungus.
• The initial step of cellulose degradation is the
enzymatic hydrolysis of the polymer.

• The enzyme system involving a group of different

enzymes, has been given the name cellulase.

• Cellulase catalyses the conversion of insoluble

cellulose into simple, water-soluble mono- or
disaccharides, a reaction characteristics of the
entire cellulolytic flora.
•Cellulose is impermeable to microbial cell.
•Therefore, extracellular enzymes are involved that act
hydrolytically making simple sugars that can penetrate
the cells.

•Once inside the cell, the simple sugars are oxidized and
provide energy for biosynthetic reactions.
• The cellulae enzyme catalyzes the hydrolysis of an
entire class of compounds in which the glucose
units are connected from one sugar unit to the
adjacent sugar, the linkage being the beta type β-
(1→4).

• Included in this group: cellobiose, cellotriose,

cellotetraose, and cellulose
• 3 types of enzymes
• 1. C1: a poorly characterized enzyme
• 2. Cx: β-(1→4) glucanase
• 3. β-glucosidase

• Joint action of all these three enzymes are

required for complete degradation
• C1 acts on undegraded or native cellulose. They
don’t show any action on the partially degraded
oligomers or polysaccharides.

• Found in true cellulolytic species

• Usually a single species can excrete more than one
C1 enzyme.
• Cx do not hydrolyze native cellulose.
• They only degrade partially degraded cellulose or
oligomers.
• Widespread among fungi, bacteria and actinomycetes.

• a single species can excrete more than one Cx enzyme.

• Two cleavage patterns are seen: endo and exo

• Endo enzymes work at random producing: cellobiose,
various oligomers and sometimes glucose.
• Exo enzymes cleaves mainly cellobiose sequentiallt from
the non reducing ends.
• β-glucosidase produces cellobiose, cellotriose and other
low weight oligomers from cellulose.

• C1 and Cx together work better than C1 alone.

• The cellulase complex is inducible in most microorganisms

and is synthesized in the presence of cellulose or
carbohydrates structurally similar to cellulose or its sugar
containing products.
• Most mammals have only very limited ability to digest dietary fibres
such as cellulose.

• Some ruminants like cows and sheep contain certain symbiotic

anaerobic bacteria (like Cellulomonas) in the flora of the rumen,
and these bacteria produce enzymes) in the flora of the rumen, and
these bacteria produce enzymes called cellulases that help the
microorganism to break down cellulose; the breakdown products
are then used by the bacteria for proliferation.

• The bacterial mass is later digested by the ruminant in its digestive

system (stomach and small intestine).

• Fungi, which in nature are responsible for recycling of nutrients, are

also able to break down cellulose.
• Cellulose is the most abundant organic polymer on
Earth. The cellulose content of cottonCellulose is
the most abundant organic polymer on Earth. The
cellulose content of cotton fiber is 90%, that of
woodCellulose is the most abundant organic
polymer on Earth. The cellulose content of cotton
fiber is 90%, that of wood is 40–50% and that of
dried hemp is approximately 45%.
• Cotton fibres represent the purest natural form of
cellulose, containing more than 90% of this
polysaccharide.
Microorganisms degrading
cellulose
Some microbial genera capable of utilizing cellulose

Fungi Bacteria Actinomycetes

Alternaria Bacillus Streptosporangium
Aspergillus Cellulomonas Micromonospora
Chaetomium Clostridium Nocardia
Coprinus Corynebacterium Streptomyces
Fomes Cytophaga
Fusarium Polyangium
Myrothecium Pseudomonas
Pecicillium Sporocytophaga
Polyporus Vibrio
Rhizoctonia
Rhizopus
Trametes
Trichoderma
Trichothecium
Verticillium
Zygorhyncus
 Factors governing cellulose decomposition

• The major environmental factors:

1. Available nitrogen level
2. Temperature
3. Aeration
4. Moisture
5. pH
 1. Available nitrogen level

• The application of inorganic nitrogen enhances cellulose

breakdown in soil, either ammonium or nitrate salts
serving as the suitable source of the mineral.

• The rate of decomposition is proportional to the amount

of nitrogen added.

• Manure and organic N compounds such as urea, amino

acids and casein also increase the conversion rate.
 2. Temperature

• The biological cellulose decomposition can

proceed from temp near freezing to about 65°C.

• Mesophiles dominate at moderate temp while

thermophiles in the hotter areas and above 45°C,
a rapid degradation occurs. This is simply the
increased enzyme activity at higher temp.
 3. Aeration

• Aeration governs the composition of the active

flora.
• Aerobes dominate in oxygenated environment.
• Anaerobic bacteria are favoured by decreasing
partial pressure of O2.
• In anaerobic environment the degradation rate is
low.
 4. Moisture
• High moisture level…..anaerobic cellulolytic bacteria
increase, fungi and actinomycetes decrease
• moderate moisture level…..fungi and aerobic bacteria
increases.

5. pH
• Varies from neutral to alakline
• Under acid condition, the degradation is mediated by
filamentous fungi
• Although the process is rapid below pH 5 and
occassionally below 4, soils with lower hydrogen ion conc
degrade cellulose more raedily.