%0 Journal Article %A Thayer, D. W. %T Carboxymethylcellulase Produced by Facultative Bacteria from the Hind-gut of the Termite Reticulitermes hesperus %D 1978 %J Microbiology, %V 106 %N 1 %P 13-18 %@ 1465-2080 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/00221287-106-1-13 %I Microbiology Society, %X Bacillus cereus RW 1 and Serratia marcescens RW 3, isolated from the hind-gut of the termite Reticulitermes hesperus, both grew well on mesquite wood and produced moderate amounts of carboxymethylcellulase. Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) gels were depolymerized rapidly by B. cereus RW 1 and slowly by S. marcescens RW 3. The depolymerization of CMC was pH and temperature sensitive. Depolymerization of gels by growing cultures of B. cereus RW 1 and the action of cell-free extracts of B. cereus RW 1 on CMC sols were optimum at pH 6ยท0 and 5.5, respectively. Glucose and cellobiose increased the rate of CMC gel depolymerization. Enzyme synthesis rather than growth was stimulated by the addition of glucose to a culture of RW 1 growing on a non-cellulosic substrate. Bacillus cereus RW 1 produced both cell-free and cell-bound carboxymethylcellulase. %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-106-1-13