Isolation and characterization of cellulose degrading Candida tropicalis W2 from environmental samples

Microbial cellulose degradation is significant in environment rich in plant organic matter. the present study was carried out to isolate cellulose degrading yeasts from environmental samples. the isolated yeast characterized through 18s rrna was found to be candida tropicalis. c. tropicalis showed optimum growth at 37°c and ph of 7. the isolated yeast produced both intra-as well as extra-cellular enzyme but the dominant form found was extra-cellular. c. tropicalis showed maximum enzyme production after 5 days of incubation. the optimum temperature and ph for cellulase activity was found to be 40°c and 8,respectively. cellulase activity was inhibited in the presence of all tested metal ions. c. tropicalis can be exploited for cellulose biotechnologies. copyright 2013 zoological society of pakistan.