Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Applied and Environmental Microbiology logoLink to Applied and Environmental Microbiology
. 1989 Jul;55(7):1695–1702. doi: 10.1128/aem.55.7.1695-1702.1989

Growth characteristics on cellobiose of three different anaerobic fungi isolated from the ovine rumen.

M W Phillips 1, G L Gordon 1
PMCID: PMC202937  PMID: 2669633

Abstract

Three morphologically different anaerobic fungi, a Neocallimastix sp. strain (LM-1), a Piromonas sp. strain (SM-1), and a Sphaeromonas sp. strain (NM-1), were isolated from the rumens of sheep. Growth studies were conducted with each isolate in batch cultures by using an anaerobic semidefined medium that lacked ruminal fluid and contained 0.5% cellobiose. Cultures were incubated for periods of up to 10 days, and fungal growth was assessed at regular intervals by dry weight measurements. Samples of fungal biomass were also analyzed for cell-associated protein and, after acid hydrolysis, for chitin as hexosamine. The isolates produced similar yields of dry weight and contained similar amounts of protein. However, strain LM-1 grew at a higher rate and contained less than half the level of chitin compared with the other two isolates. There were high positive correlations between chitin and protein for all three fungi, but comparisons of these parameters with dry weights were affected by the presence of variable amounts of storage carbohydrate. The amount of storage carbohydrate reached maximum levels in strain LM-1 during mid-growth phase and then quickly declined thereafter. When dry weight yields for strain LM-1 were adjusted for changes in storage carbohydrate, high positive correlations were obtained between dry weight and protein or chitin. The storage carbohydrate was probably an alpha-1,4-glucan with alpha-1,6 branches.

Full text

PDF
1695

Images in this article

1698Image
on p.1698

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Akin D. E. Evaluation by electron microscopy and anaerobic culture of types of rumen bacteria associated with digestion of forage cell walls. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1980 Jan;39(1):242–252. doi: 10.1128/aem.39.1.242-252.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bauchop T. The rumen anaerobic fungi: colonizers of plant fibre. Ann Rech Vet. 1979;10(2-3):246–248. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Caldwell D. R., Bryant M. P. Medium without rumen fluid for nonselective enumeration and isolation of rumen bacteria. Appl Microbiol. 1966 Sep;14(5):794–801. doi: 10.1128/am.14.5.794-801.1966. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Chen G. C., Johnson B. R. Improved colorimetric determination of cell wall chitin in wood decay fungi. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1983 Jul;46(1):13–16. doi: 10.1128/aem.46.1.13-16.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Gorin P. A., Spencer J. F. Structural chemistry of fungal polysaccharides. Adv Carbohydr Chem Biochem. 1968;23:367–417. doi: 10.1016/s0096-5332(08)60172-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Joblin K. N. Isolation, enumeration, and maintenance of rumen anaerobic fungi in roll tubes. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1981 Dec;42(6):1119–1122. doi: 10.1128/aem.42.6.1119-1122.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Kennedy S. I., Fewson C. A. Enzymes of the mandelate pathway in Bacterium N.C.I.B. 8250. Biochem J. 1968 Apr;107(4):497–506. doi: 10.1042/bj1070497. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Lowe S. E., Theodorou M. K., Trinci A. P. Cellulases and xylanase of an anaerobic rumen fungus grown on wheat straw, wheat straw holocellulose, cellulose, and xylan. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1987 Jun;53(6):1216–1223. doi: 10.1128/aem.53.6.1216-1223.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Lowe S. E., Theodorou M. K., Trinci A. P. Growth and fermentation of an anaerobic rumen fungus on various carbon sources and effect of temperature on development. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1987 Jun;53(6):1210–1215. doi: 10.1128/aem.53.6.1210-1215.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Mountfort D. O., Asher R. A. Production and regulation of cellulase by two strains of the rumen anaerobic fungus Neocallimastix frontalis. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1985 May;49(5):1314–1322. doi: 10.1128/aem.49.5.1314-1322.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Munn E. A., Orpin C. G., Hall F. J. Ultrastructural studies of the free zoospore of the rumen phycomycete Neocallimastix frontalis. J Gen Microbiol. 1981 Aug;125(2):311–323. doi: 10.1099/00221287-125-2-311. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Orpin C. G. Studies on the rumen flagellate Neocallimastix frontalis. J Gen Microbiol. 1975 Dec;91(2):249–262. doi: 10.1099/00221287-91-2-249. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Orpin C. G. Studies on the rumen flagellate Sphaeromonas communis. J Gen Microbiol. 1976 Jun;94(2):270–280. doi: 10.1099/00221287-94-2-270. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Orpin C. G. The occurrence of chitin in the cell walls of the rumen organisms Neocallimastix frontalis, Piromonas communis and Sphaeromonas communis. J Gen Microbiol. 1977 Mar;99(1):215–218. doi: 10.1099/00221287-99-1-215. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Orpin C. G. The rumen flagellate Piromonas communis: its life-history and invasion of plant material in the rumen. J Gen Microbiol. 1977 Mar;99(1):107–117. doi: 10.1099/00221287-99-1-107. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Phillips M. W., Gordon G. L. Sugar and polysaccharide fermentation by rumen anaerobic fungi from Australia, Britain and New Zealand. Biosystems. 1988;21(3-4):377–383. doi: 10.1016/0303-2647(88)90036-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Stewart C. S., Paniagua C., Dinsdale D., Cheng K. J., Garrow S. H. Selective isolation and characteristics of Bacteriodes succinogenes from the rumen of a cow. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1981 Feb;41(2):504–510. doi: 10.1128/aem.41.2.504-510.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Stewart P. R. Analytical methods for yeasts. Methods Cell Biol. 1975;12:111–147. doi: 10.1016/s0091-679x(08)60955-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Applied and Environmental Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES