Bacterial Cellulases

Cellulolytic bacteria play an important role in the biosphere by recycling cellulose. The cellulase systems they produce usually comprise a number of distinct enzymes, which can have specific activities comparable to those of cellulolytic fungi. The cellulase systems of certain bacteria may be found as discrete multi-enzyme aggregates. Many cellulolytic bacteria utilize a multi-enzyme complex that binds to and synergistically hydrolyzes cellulose substrates. This review is an attempt to summarize the available literature concerning applications and cellulolytic enzymatic systems of the bacterial genera Bacillus, Clostridium and Cellulomonas sp. The composition of complex cellulases produced by these organisms were examined at the enzyme level.