Heterologous expression, purification and characterization of a highly thermolabile endoxylanase from the Antarctic fungus Cladosporium sp.

Numerous endoxylanases from mesophilic fungi have been purified and characterized. However, endoxylanases from cold-adapted fungi, especially those from Antarctica, have been less studied. In this work, a cDNA from the Antarctic fungus Cladosporium sp.

Cold-active xylanase produced by fungi associated with Antarctic marine sponges.

Despite their potential biotechnological applications, cold-active xylanolytic enzymes have been poorly studied. In this work, 38 fungi isolated from marine sponges collected in King George Island, Antarctica, were screened as new sources of cold-active xylanases. All of them showed xylanase activity at 15 and 23 °C in semiquantitative plate assays.

Diversity of cultivable fungi associated with Antarctic marine sponges and screening for their antimicrobial, antitumoral and antioxidant potential.

The diversity of sponge-associated fungi has been poorly investigated in remote geographical areas like Antarctica. In this study, 101 phenotypically different fungal isolates were obtained from 11 sponge samples collected in King George Island, Antarctica. The analysis of ITS sequences revealed that they belong to the phylum Ascomycota.