Production and Partial Purification of Cellulase from a New Isolate, Penicillium verruculosum BS3

Abstract

Aims: This study describes the production of cellulases by a newly isolated fungus, Penicillium verruculosum BS3 on lignocellulosic biomass with special emphasis on endoglucanase. Study Design: Isolation, screening and characterization of cellulolytic fungus. Production of cellulase by submerged and solid state fermentation. Partial purification of cellulase by ammonium sulphate precipitation, dialysis and spin colum n. Characterization by Native PAGE and SDS - PAGE. Place and Duration of Study: Enzyme Technology Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, University of Calicut, Kerala - 673635, India, between October 2013 and November 2014. Methodology: The lignocellulol ytic fungus was characterized and identified by lacto - phenol cotton blue staining and 28S rRNA gene sequencing. Preliminary confirmation of cellulase production was done by iodine plate assay method. Production of cellulase was carried out on synthetic and natural raw substrates employing submerged and solid state fermentation strategies. The produced cellulase was purified by am monium sulphate precipitation, dialysis and spin column followed by