Cumulative cellulolytic enzyme activities and initial litter quality in prediction of cellulose degradation in an alpine meadow of the eastern Tibetan Plateau

Aims Plant litter decomposition is a key ecosystem process that determines carbon and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems.As a main component of litter,cellulose is a vital energy source for the microbes associated with litter decomposition.The important role of cellulolytic enzymes in litter cellulose degradation is well understood,but seasonal patterns of cellulose degradation and whether cumulative enzyme activities and litter quality forecast cellulose degradation in an alpine meadow remain elusive,which limits our understanding of cellulose degradation in herbaceous plant litter.Methods A two-year field litterbag experiment involving three dominant species(Ajuga ovalifolia,Festuca wallichanica,and Pedicularis roylei)was conducted in an alpine meadow of the eastern Tibetan Plateau to explore the seasonal patterns of cellulose degradation and how cumulative cellulolytic enzyme activities and initial litter quality impact cellulose degradation.Important findings Our study demonstrates that cellulose degraded rapidly and exceeded 50%during the first year,which mainly occurred in the first growing season(31.9%–43.3%).At two years of decomposition,cellulose degradation was driven by cumulative endoglucanase(R^(2)=0.70),cumulative cellobiohydrolase(R^(2)=0.59)and cumulative 1,4-β-glucosidase(R^(2)=0.57).In addition,the concentrations of cellulose,dissolved organic carbon,total phenol,lignin and lignin/N accounted for 52%–78%of the variation in cellulose degradation during the two years of decomposition.The best model for predicting cellulose degradation was the initial cellulose concentration(R^(2)=0.78).The enzymatic efficiencies and the allocation of cellulolytic enzyme activities were different among species.The cellulolytic enzyme efficiencies were higher in the litter of F.wallichanica with relatively lower quality.For the complete cellulose degradation of the leaf litter,A.ovalifolia and F.wallichanica required 4-fold and 6.7-fold more endoglucanase activity,3-fold and 4.5-fold more cellobiohydrolase activity and 1.2-fold and 1.4-fold more 1,4-β-glucosidase activity,respectively,than those required by P.roylei.Our results demonstrated that although microbial activity and litter quality both have significant impacts on cellulose degradation in an alpine meadow,using cellulose concentration to predict cellulose degradation is a good way to simplify the model of cellulose degradation and C cycling during litter decomposition.

Preparation and properties of poly(lactic acid)/cellulolytic enzyme lignin/PGMA ternary blends

Poly（lactic acid）-based ternary blends consisting of poly（lactic acid）（PLA）,cellulolytic enzyme lignin（CEL）,and polyolefine grafting maleic anhydride（PGMA） were prepared by extrusion blending and the mechanical properties and the morphology of the ternary blends were investigated.It was found that the mechanical properties varied with various loading of the components in the blends.Compared to neat PLA,the tensile strength and the Young＇s modulus of the ternary blends were decreased,but the elongation at break and the impact strength were effectively improved.Scanning electron microscope observations revealed that the CEL plays a bridging role between PLA and PGMA,enhancing the miscibility between them and resulting in the improvement of ductility and toughness of the ternary blends.Considering the cost and performance,we obtained the optimal blend PLA/CEL/ PGMA（80/20/20,w/w/w）,of which the impact strength and the elongation at break were doubled as that of neat PLA,and the tensile strength remained moderate.

The scarab gut： A potential bioreactor for bio-fuel production

Cellulose and hemicelluloses are the most prevalent sources of carbon in nature. Currently many approaches employ micro-organisms and their enzyme products to degrade plant feedstocks for production of bioenergy. Scarab larvae are one such model. They consume celluloses from a variety of sources including plant roots, soil organic matter and decaying wood, and are able to extract nutrients and energy from these sources. In this paper, we review the physicochemical properties of the scarab larval gut, the diversity and digestive role that microflora play in the scarab gut and discuss the potential for applying these digestive processes in bioreactors for improving bio-fuel production. Scarab larvae are characterised by their highly alkaline midgut which is dominated by serine proteinase enzymes, and a modified hindgut which harbors the majority of the intestinal microbiota under anaerobic conditions. Evidence suggests that digestion of recalcitrant organic matter in scarab larvae likely results from a combination of endogenous gut proteinases and cellulolytic enzymes produced by symbiotic micro-organisms. Most of the easily digestible proteins are mobilized and absorbed in the midgut by endogenous proteinases. The hindgut contents of scarab larvae are characterized by high concentrations of volatile fatty acids, the presence of fermenting bacteria, and typical anaerobic activities, such as methanogenesis. The hindgut typically contains a wide diversity of micro-organisms, some of which appear to be obligate symbionts with cellulolytic potential. As a result, the scarab larval gut can be regarded as a small bioreactor resembling the rumen of sheep or cattle, where solid food particles composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin and polysaccharides are degraded through enzymatic and fermentation processes. Together these observations suggest scarab larvae have potential to assist the bio-fuel industry by providing new sources of （hemi）cellulolytic bacteria and bacterial （hemi）cellulolytic enzymes.