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Isolation and characterization of a cellulolytic Geobacillus thermoleovorans T4 strain from sugar refinery wastewater

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Abstract

A novel, cellulolytic, bacterial thermophilic strain, T4, was isolated from sugar refinery wastewater in southern Taiwan. This isolate, a Gram-negative, motile, aerobically growing sporulating rod, can secrete thermostable endocellulase (endo-1,4-β-D-glucanase, EC 3.2.1.4) and hydrolyze carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), phosphoric acid-swollen cellulose, Avicel, filter paper, and salicin. When strain T4 was grown in CMC medium, the cellulolytic enzyme activity in culture supernatants was stable up to 70°C. More than 10% of the original activity was still detectable after heating to 100°C with a pH 7.0 for 1 h. Based on 16S rDNA sequence analysis, DNA base composition, phenotypic and physiological characteristics, as well as DNA–DNA hybridization, strain T4 was classified as Geobacillus thermoleovorans T4 (DSM 14791 = CCRC 17200). We also demonstrated that the type species G. stearothermophilus (DSM 22 = ATCC 12980) could hydrolyze amorphous and crystalline (filter paper) celluloses at a rate of 13 and 14%, respectively, in comparison with strain T4.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by a grant (NSC90-2317-B-169-001) from the National Science Council, Taiwan, ROC. We are grateful for suggestions from Dr. Hans-Jürgen Busse, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria. We also thank Dr. Yuh-Chuahn Jang for technical support in the 16S rDNA sequence studies, Chin-Li Yen for enzymatic assays, and the Culture Collection and Research Center, Food Industry Research and Development Institute, Hsinchu, Taiwan, for determination of the fatty acids, the DNA G + C content, and the DNA–DNA hybridization.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 804, ROC

    Shang-Kai Tai & Jong-Kang Liu

  2. Development Center for Biotechnology, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC

    Hsiu-Ping Pearl Lin

  3. National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, Pingtung, Taiwan, ROC

    Jimmy Kuo

Authors
  1. Shang-Kai Tai
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  2. Hsiu-Ping Pearl Lin
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  3. Jimmy Kuo
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  4. Jong-Kang Liu
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Correspondence to Jong-Kang Liu.

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Communicted by J. Wiegel

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Tai, SK., Lin, HP.P., Kuo, J. et al. Isolation and characterization of a cellulolytic Geobacillus thermoleovorans T4 strain from sugar refinery wastewater. Extremophiles 8, 345–349 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-004-0395-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-004-0395-2

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