In-vitro depolymerization of Scutia buxifolia leaf-litter by a dominant Ascomycota Ciliochorella sp.

Scutia buxifolia leaf-litter is recalcitrant to degradation but hosts an assemblage of Ascomycota fungi among which Ciliochorella sp. is the most frequent one. The aim of this work was to analyze the role Ciliochorella sp. plays in degradation of S. buxifolia leaf-litter in-vitro. Decay was assessed based on mass loss and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy analysis. After 60 days of fungal growth, there was a 4.7% mass reduction that was associated with degradation of polysaccharides, proteins and lignin-related molecules. Ciliochorella sp. synthetized and released to the water-soluble fraction of leaf-litter enzymes with β-1,4 endoglucanase activity, that increased 3-fold over a 30 day period, and no laccase and peroxidase activity. We conclude that Ciliochorella sp. transformed S. buxifolia litter by degrading polysaccharides and also aromatic structures at early stages of decay.