Clostridium phytofermentans | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Bacteria |
Division: | Firmicutes |
Class: | Clostridia |
Family: | Clostridiaceae |
Genus: | Clostridium |
Species: | Cl. phytofermentans |
Binomial name | |
Clostridium phytofermentans Warnick et al. 2002 |
Clostridium phytofermentans is an obligately anaerobic, rod-shaped, gram-positive bacterium. It forms spherical spores. Strains of this species appear able to produce ethanol, acetate, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen gas by fermentation of cellulose, polygalacturonic acid, and other compounds common in plant biomass. The C. phytofermentans genome contains more than 100 potential hydrolases to perform this activity, though one hydrolase (Cphy3367) appears to be essential to the process. A different cellobiohydrolase, CpCel48, has been isolated from this species and expressed in an active form within Bacillus subtilis.