Preparation of mutants of Trichoderma viride with increased production of cellulase

Four mutant strains exhibiting increased production of cullulases were prepared by UV irradiation of conidia of Trichoderma viride QM 9414. Selected mutants were tested for production of cellulases in submerged cultivations in shake flasks and in a 30-L fermentor in a synthetic medium containing 1 % microcrystaline cellulose as the carbon source. Some mutants showed considerable morphological differences when compared to the parent strain, the most noticeable being a higher degree of branching of the mutant hyphae. The branched mutants produced 2 to 3 times higher levels of beta-glucosidase than the parent strain QM 9414.