Advance in the co-culture of anaerobic fungi and methanogens

Abstract:

Anaerobic fungi are among the most effective lignocelluloses-degrading microbes in nature. Recently, increasing number of the co-cultures of anaerobic fungi with methanogens have been isolated. In the co-culture, methanogens utilize metabolites produced by anaerobic fungi, enhancing the lignocelluloses-degrading ability of anaerobic fungi; anaerobic fungi provide methanogens with energy and nutrients, with which methanogens rapidly generate substantial methane. A comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the mutual interaction and the lignocelluloses-degrading methane-producing characteristics of the co-culture will be conducive to investigating the regulation of the lignocellulosic degradation and methane production. Thus, in this review, we summarized the isolation and identification, the diversity and the mutual interaction of the co-culture, and the decomposition of lignocellulosic material by the co-culture.