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 ABSTRACT

Eleven species of cellulase-producing fungi belonging to seven genera were isolated from Saudi Arabian soil. All of the fungi isolated were tested quantitatively for their cellulase production. tlyrothecium verrucaria, Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Trichoderma viride possessed a higher cellulase activity than the other isolates. The effect of Cd, Cu, Pb, Mn, Ni and Co on cellulolytic activity and the growth of these soil fungi in Czapek-Dox liquid medium at different concentrations of these heavy metals were investigated. Addition of heavy metals aused a highly significant inhibition of cellulase production by soil fungi tested. The e11ulolytic activity of M. verrucaria, P. chrysosporium and T. viride decreased as the concentration of heavy metals increased. These fungi were able to survive and grow in the medium containing up to 300 sg/ml of the metal ions tested.