Isolation and Identification of Cellulose Degrading Bacteria from Different Sources at Assiut Governorate (Upper Egypt)

The cellulolytic bacteria were screened out from five different sources on two selective media, cellulose agar and carboxymethyl cellulose agar. Ten bacterial isolates characterized by high potent ability to produce cellulases enzymes. These isolates were characterized and identified. The extracellular cellulases activities ranged from 4.389 to 7.724 U/ml for filter paper cellulase (FPCase) and 6.175 to 12.152 U/ml for carboxymethylcellulase (CMCase) assay. Two isolates (CDB6 & CDB10) were found to be highest productivity of cellulases enzymes, 7.268 and 7.724 U/ml respectively, on FPCase, whereas on CMCase assay maximum activity was11.077 U/ml by CDB6 and 12.152U/ml by CDB10. Ten cellulose degrading bacterial isolates were identified as Bacillus subtilis(four isolates: CDB6, CDB8, CDB9 and CDB10), Bacillus thuringeinsis(two isolates: CDB1 and CDB5), Brevibacillusbrevis(two isolates: CDB2 and CDB4), Brevibacillusparabrevis(one isolate: CDB7) and Bacillus pumilus(one isolate: CDB3).