Abstract
The research was conducted to isolate soil fungi and screen them for cellulase production using the zone of hydrolysis technique. Several fungi were isolated and characterised from soil environments of different locations using conventional microbiological methods. A total of six isolates were confirmed to be Penicillium chrysogenum, Emericella rogulosus, Aspergillus terreus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, all coded as BG1, BG2, BG3, BG4, BG5 and BG6, respectively. Fungal isolate BG5 has the highest percentage of occurrence (34.30 %), followed by SBG3 (22.86 %). The isolates were screened for cellulase production using the carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) agar plate method. All the fungal isolates demonstrated cellulase production ability, with fungal isolates BG5 (18 mm) and BG3 (15 mm) having the highest diameter of zone of cellulose hydrolysis. The research reveals the potentiality of using locally isolated soil fungi for cellulase production.
Highlights
Cellulases hydrolyse β-(1-4) glycosidic bonds in cellulose
The general structure of most of the cellulases can be broken down into two structural parts: the catalytic domain (CD) and the carbohydrate-binding domain (CBD), both of which are connected via a flexible linker peptide
The six isolates obtained were Penicillium chrysogenum, Emericella rogulosus, Aspergillus terreus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, all coded as BG1, BG2, BG3, BG4, BG5 and BG6, respectively
Summary
Cellulases hydrolyse β-(1-4) glycosidic bonds in cellulose. They are produced both by bacteria and fungi. Fungi are very successful soil inhabitants due to their high plasticity and capacity to adopt various forms in response to adverse or unfavourable conditions [15] Due to their ability to produce a wide variety of extracellular enzymes, they can break down all kinds of organic matter, decomposing soil components and thereby regulating the balance of carbon and nutrients [16]. Fungi participate in nitrogen fixation, hormone production, biological control against root pathogens and protection against drought [24, 25, 26] They play an essential role in stabilising soil organic matter and decomposing residues [27]. Fungi prefer slightly acidic conditions, low disturbance soils, perennial plants, internal nutrient sources directly from the plant, highly stable forms of organic residues with high carbon to nitrogen (C:N) values and slower recycling time. This allows fungi to bridge gaps in the soil to transport nutrients relatively far distances back to the plants [29]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
