Biodegradation of cellulose by new recombinants of Rhizobium Harboring Cellulase genes [electronic resource]

Includes bibliographic reference

Plant biomass is efficiency decomposed by a great number of different microbial enzymes. The enzyme systems in cellulolytic bacteria
have been genetically improved via plasmid transfer and genome shortening. In this study six conjugations were done between six parental
strains carrying the opposite genetic markers from which 18 transconjugants were evaluated for biodegradation of cellulose. Three strains
of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii were used as recipients against Bt and Serratia strains expressing cellulose activity as donors.
The wild type strains of Bacillus thuringiensis and Rhizobium encoded significant cellulose biodegradation after genome shortening.
In addition, all transconjugants resulted from the mating between Bt1 and Rh11 expressed significant cellulase activities after curing.
In constrant, all transconjugants results from the mating between Bt2 x Rh6 and Bt2 x Rh11 appeared insignificant differences in cellulase
activity before and after curing. Meanwhile, the parental strains Rh6 and Rh11 expressed significant cellulase activity after curing.
Furthermore, all transconjugants resulted from the mating between Sm x Rh6 and Sm x Rh15 encoded significant cellulase activity after curing.
This work provides efficiently encoded cellulases in genome shortening mutants than in the wild type. The enzymes encoded in this study
represented that cellulase expressing genes were located on the bacterial chromosome and plasmids. Though, plant infection of legumes
was affected by Rhizobia cellulases which considered as important determinant in nodulation process

Summary in Arabic