Enzymology of the thermophilic ascomycetous fungus Thermoascus aurantiacus

Different strains of the thermophilic ascomycetous fungus Thermoascus aurantiacus have been reported in the literature to produce high levels of a variety of industrial interest enzymes (i.e. amylases, cellulases, pectinases and xylanases), which have been shown to be remarkably stable over a wide range of temperatures and appear to have tremendous commercial potential. Most studies on enzyme production by T. aurantiacus are carried out in chemically defined liquid medium, under conditions suitable for induction of a particular enzyme. A few studies have investigated the production of some enzymes by T. aurantiacus by solid-state fermentation, using lignocellulosic materials. The present review focuses on the enzymes produced by T. aurantiacus, their main kinetic parameters, and the effect of different culture conditions on production and enzyme activity. It also provides a view of the possible applications of T. aurantiacus enzymes, considering that this thermophilic fungus could comprise a potential source of thermostable enzymes.