Comparative analysis of the cellulolytic enzymatic ability of strains belonging to the genus Cladorrhinum (Podosporaceae, Sordariales, Ascomycota) and preliminary data for Cladorrhinum samala INTA-AR 59

Cladorrhinum, a genus of soil fungi belonging to the Podosporaceae family within the Sordariales order of the Ascomycota phylum, comprises several species with diverse physiological capabilities. While there are existing data on the cellulolytic activity of Cladorrhinum bulbillosum and Cladorrhinum foecundissimum, no reports are available on the potential of other species in this genus. In this study, different strains of Cladorrhinum were evaluated for carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase) activity on solid medium, and the strains exhibiting the highest activity levels were selected. In liquid culture, Cladorrhinum samala INTA-AR 59 and C. samala INTA-AR 7 revealed maximum levels of endo-1,4-β-glucanase activity at 14 incubation d (27.55 ± 3.39 IU/L and 17.52 ± 0.87 IU/L, respectively), while C. samala INTA-AR 156 exhibited it at 31 incubation d (13.32 ± 3.59 IU/L). Concerning β-glucosidase activity, C. samala INTA-AR 59 and C. samala INTA-AR 156 displayed maximum levels of activity at 38 d (17.52 ± 0.87 IU/L and 0.5 ± 0.21 IU/L, respectively), and INTA-AR 7 at 31 d (9.44 ± 1.02 IU/L). Additionally, we present data on CMCase activity obtained through zymogram analysis of the C. samala INTA-AR 59 strain.