Effects of Sequential Sub-Culturing on the Survival and Enzyme Activity of Neocallimastix hurleyensis

This study investigated the long-term adaptation of a rumen anaerobic fungus, Neocallimastix hurleyensis, grown on eachof 3 different substrates as the sole energy source. The rumen anaerobic fungus was cultivated on Avicel, Xylan and glucose for upto 31 subcultures, and its survival and enzymatic activity were monitored. The fungus was able to survive on each of these substrates. Significant increases in the xylanase, avicelase and carboxymethylcellulase (CMCase) activities of N. hurleyensis were observed after 31 subcultures on Avicel and Xylan. However, there was a significant decrease in these enzyme activities after 31consecutive subcultures of the N. hurleyensis fungus on the medium containing glucose as the sole energy source.