Effective cellulose degradation by a mixed-culture system composed of a cellulolytic Clostridium and aerobic non-cellulolytic bacteria.

A stable cellulose-degrading microflora enriched from composting materials has been analyzed in our laboratory. Cellulose-degrading efficiency of an anaerobic cellulolytic isolate, Clostridium straminisolvens CSK1, was remarkably lower than that of the original microflora. We successfully constructed bacterial communities with effective cellulose degradation by mixing C. straminisolvens CSK1 with aerobic non-cellulolytic bacteria isolated from the original microflora. Comparison of the cellulose degradation processes of the pure culture of C. straminisolvens CSK1 and the mixed-culture indicated that non-cellulolytic bacteria essentially contribute to cellulose degradation by supplying anaerobic environment, consuming metabolites, which otherwise deteriorate the cellulolytic activity, and by neutralizing pH.