Marine Microbes as a Potential Source of Cellulolytic Enzymes

Marine environment hosts the wide range of habitats with remarkably high and diverse microbial populations. The ability of marine microorganisms to survive in extreme temperature, salinity, and pressure depends on the function of multivarious enzyme systems that in turn provide vast potential for biotechnological exploration studies. Therefore, the enzymes from marine microorganism represent novel bio catalytic potential with stable and reliable properties. Microbial cellulases constitute a major group of industrial enzymes that find applications in various industries. Majority of cellulases are of terrestrial origin, and very limited research has been carried out to explore marine microbes as a source of cellulases. This chapter presents an overview about the types of marine polysaccharases, classification and potential applications of cellulases, different sources of marine cellulases, and their future perspectives.