A Novel Cellulase Produced by a Newly Isolated Trichoderma virens.

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Enzymology
• Microbiology

Background:

• Improving crop straw utilization is crucial for sustainable agriculture.
• High-activity cellulase enzymes are key to efficient biomass conversion.
• Novel microbial strains are needed for enhanced enzyme production.

Purpose of the Study:

• To isolate and characterize a novel microbial strain producing high-activity cellulase.
• To optimize cellulase production and purification processes.
• To investigate the enzymatic properties of the purified cellulase.

Main Methods:

• Isolation of microbial strains using soil dilution plate method with cellulose and Congo red.
• Fermentation of the novel strain Trichoderma virens ZY-01.
• Purification of cellulase via (NH₄)₂SO₄ fractional precipitation, anion-exchange, and gel filtration chromatography.
• Enzymatic characterization including optimum temperature, pH, and metal ion effects.

Main Results:

• A novel strain, Trichoderma virens ZY-01, was successfully isolated and patented.
• Cellulase activity reached 7.4 IU/mL under non-optimized fermentation.
• Purification yielded a 35.8-fold increase in specific activity (31.5 IU/mg) with 47.04% yield.
• Optimum activity at 50 °C and pH 5.0; enhanced by Zn²⁺, Ca²⁺, Mn²⁺; inhibited by Cu²⁺, Co²⁺.

Conclusions:

• The novel Trichoderma virens ZY-01 strain is a highly efficient producer of cellulase.
• The purified cellulase exhibits favorable enzymatic properties for potential industrial applications.
• This research contributes a valuable resource for crop straw utilization and biofuel production.