Screening, isolation, and characterization of glycosyl-hydrolase-producing fungi from desert halophyte plants Autores/as Francesca Luziatelli Department for Innovation in Biological Agro-food and Forest systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo. Silvia Crognale Department for Innovation in Biological Agro-food and Forest systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo. Alessandro D’Annibale Department for Innovation in Biological Agro-food and Forest systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo. Mauro Moresi Department for Innovation in Biological Agro-food and Forest systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo. Maurizio Petruccioli Department for Innovation in Biological Agro-food and Forest systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo. Maurizio Ruzzi Department for Innovation in Biological Agro-food and Forest systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo. Palabras clave: Schizophyllum commune, Tamarix ssp., cellulase activity, amylase activity Resumen Fungal strains naturally occurring on the wood and leaves of the salt-excreting desert tree Tamarix were isolated and characterized for their ability to produce cellulose- and starch- degrading enzymes. Of the 100 isolates, six fungal species were identified by ITS1 sequence analysis. No significant differences were observed among taxa isolated from wood samples of different Tamarix species, while highly salt-tolerant forms related to the genus Scopulariopsis (an anamorphic ascomycete) occurred only on the phylloplane of T. aphylla. All strains had cellulase and amylase activities, but the production of these enzymes was highest in strain D, a Schizophyllum-commune- related form. This strain, when grown on pretreated Tamarix biomass, produced an enzymatic complex containing levels of filter paperase (414 ± 16 IU/ml) that were higher than those of other S. commune strains. The enzyme complex was used to hydrolyze different lignocellulosic substrates, resulting in a saccharification rate of pretreated milk thistle (73.5 ± 1.2 %) that was only 10 % lower than that obtained with commercial cellulases. Our results support the use of Tamarix biomass as a useful source of cellulolytic and amylolytic fungi and as a good feedstock for the economical production of commercially relevant cellulases and amylases. [Int Microbiol 2014; 17(1):41-48]Keywords: Schizophyllum commune · Tamarix ssp. · cellulase activity · amylase activity Descargas PDF (English) Número Vol. 17 Núm. 1 (2014) Sección Research Articles Licencia Submission of a manuscript to International Microbiology implies: that the work described has not been published before, including publication in the World Wide Web (except in the form of an Abstract or as part of a published lecture, review, or thesis); that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere; that all the coauthors have agreed to its publication. The corresponding author signs for and accepts responsability for releasing this material and will act on behalf of any and all coauthors regarding the editorial review and publication process.If an article is accepted for publication in International Microbiology, the authors (or other copyright holder) must transfer to the journal the right–not exclusive–to reproduce and distribute the article including reprints, translations, photographic reproductions, microform, electronic form (offline, online) or any other reproductions of similar nature. Nevertheless, all article in International Microbiology will be available on the Internet to any reader at no cost. The journal allows users to freely download, copy, print, distribute, search, and link to the full text of any article, provided the authorship and source of the published article is cited. The copyright owner's consent does not include copying for new works, or resale. In these cases, the specific written permission of International Microbiology must first be obtained.Authors are requested to create a link to the published article on the journal's website. The link must be accompanied by the following text: "The original publication is available on LINK at <http://www.im.microbios.org>. Please use the appropiate URL for the article in LINK. Articles disseminated via LINK are indexed, abstracted, and referenced by many abstracting and information services, bibliographic networks, subscription agencies, library networks, and consortia.