Effects of Methyl Cellulose on the Cellulolytic Bacterium, Ruminococcus Flavefaciens (Rumen, Anaerobe)

Cellulose degradation by Ruminococcus flavefaciens and other ruminal cellulolytic bacteria was strongly inhibited by highly substituted methyl celluloses (degree of substitution > 1.5 and mol wt > 12,000). The inhibitory response was concentration dependent with 0.1% (wt/vol) or methyl cellulose required for complete inhibition. R. flavefaciens was unable to use methyl cellulose for growth and no bacterial depolymerization of methyl cellulose was observed. Bacterial adherence to cellulose also was inhibited by the cellulose derivatives. Crude mixtures of methylated cellulodextrins (average degree of polymerization (DP) = 9.4 and 8.5) prepared from methyl cellulose by mild acid hydrolysis (2 N HCl) partially inhibited cellulose degradation by R. flavefaciens. Inhibition did not occur with extended hydrolysis preparations (DP = 4.5 and 1.0) nor with the addition of 3-O-methyl-(beta)-D-glucose.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Dairy Science

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2014

Author dc:creator

• Rasmussen, Mark Axel

• Biology, Microbiology

Identifier

(UMI)AAI8701596

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/71728