Comparative production of cellulases by mutants of Trichoderma parceramosume PTCC5140

Cellulose is the most abundant biopolymer in the world. Cellulase, including endoglucanase, cellobiohydrolase and beta-glucosidase, catalyzes the hydrolysis of cellulose. Released glucose from enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulosic biomass is used in different biotechnology fields.
In this study, seven different Trichoderma species were obtained from Persian Type Culture Collection (PTCC) and in order to select the best ones, cellulase activity of native strains was determined. Sodium salt of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC-Na), Avicel and cellobiose were used for endoglucanase, cellobiohydrolase (exoglucanase) and cellobiase (beta-glucosidase) assays, respectively. Kinetics of cellulose production was evaluated for the selected strain. Finally, random mutagenesis with 0.2 M sodium nitrate was done.
Among 7 different fungal species, Trichoderma parceramosum PTCC 5140 was selected as the best strain with the highest cellulase activity. This strain, by production of 0.182 U/ml of endoglucanase, 0.538 U/ml of exoglucanase and 0.109 U/ml of cellubiase, showed the highest amount of all three constituents of cellulolytic complex. Random mutagenesis and mutant selection of this strain caused to isolate 4 stable mutants that were able to produce 2 to 11 fold more enzymes compared with the parent strain.
Discussion and Evaluation of cellulase production in mutant strains of Trichoderma parceramosume PTCC 5140 showed that use of chemical mutagenesis with 2 to 11 fold increasing in enzyme activity is a potent method to improve cellulase complex activity. In the current study, obtained mutant strains could be introduced as a potent cellulase producer for further studies in bioconversion processes.