Studies on cellulase production by a mutant-penicillium funiculosum uv-49

In search of hypercellulolytic microorganisms, ultraviolet irradiation carried out with Penicillium funiculosum has yielded a superior mutant. The investigations reported in this article are shake flask studies on some important nutritional requirements of the mutant, namely, nitrogen source, carbon source, and inducers. The mutant shows an ability to metabolize inorganic nitrogen sources like urea and sodium nitrate both for growth and enzyme production. A comparison of the long-term saccharification ability and the utilization efficiency of the mutant enzyme with those reported in the literature is also carried out, showing the superior performance of the mutant enzyme.