The properties of forms of Ruminococcus flavefaciens which differ in their ability to degrade cotton cellulose.

Two mutant strains of Ruminococcus flavefaciens strain 007 that differ in their ability to hydrolyse cotton fibres have been shown also to differ in their cell-surface topology, in that the cotton degrading form possessed larger and more protuberant cell surface structures. The strains had similar CMCase, cellobiosidase and beta-glucosidase activities. The results indicate the importance of cell-surface properties in cotton degradation by R. flavefaciens.