Isolation and cultivation of cellulolytic and xylanolytic bacteria and molds extracted from the gut of the termite Reticulitermes santonensis (3DV.1.14)

Biofuel production can be based on the use of agro-residues, consisting in a complex lignocellulosic structure which is not easily hydrolysable. The digestive tract of the termite Reticulitermes santonensis contains a diversified microflora able to hydrolyze the wood components. Bacteria, molds and protists form efficient consortia, able to break the lignocellulosic complex by producing enzymes, such as xylanases and cellulases. Our purpose is the isolation of microbial strains from termite guts in order to evaluate their potential for hydrolysis of lignocellulosic materials. Termites were fed using different diets chosen to improve the xylanolytic and cellulolytic microflora: wood, microcristalline cellulose (added with lignin or not), α-cellulose (added with lignin or not) and birchwood xylan. Then, dissections were realized to isolate the potential xylanolytic and cellulolytic strains. This approach led us to isolate and to study several strains of bacteria (Bacillus sp. strain CTGx and Chryseobacterium sp. strain CTGx) and molds (Trichoderma virens strain CTGx and Sarocladium kiliense strain CTGx). These microorganisms were able to hydrolyze starch, xylan, cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, esculin, β-glucan and Whatman® filter paper. They can produce glucose and xylose monomers and oligomers which can be further fermented to produce bioethanol.