Cellulolytic enzymes have been studied in several organisms, such as insects, molluscs and other organisms, which can have enzymes endogenously produced or by symbiotic microorganisms. These enzymes are responsible for breaking down the cellulosic material upon which these organisms feed, probably with the aim of assimilating the sugars and nutrients. As Teredinidae bivalves grown in mangrove trees, this study aimed to measure endo-β-1,4-glucanase activity in different organs and its content. Endo-β-1,4-glucanase activity was detected in different organs of the Teredinidae bivalves, including gills and digestive organs tissues and its content. Moreover, organisms such as teredinids grow up inside wood and this process could perhaps be related to creating growth space. All the endoglucanase extracts, from organs tissues and contents, showed maximum activity at 40 °C. The maximum activity was observed at pH 5.5 for all the extracts, except for intestine tissue, which maximum was at pH 6. Moreover, some of the extracts showed a different profile of the activity as a pH influence, suggesting different distribution of enzymes over the digestive system of the teredinids. The results suggested that the endo-β-1,4-glucanase from Teredinidae could be applied in process that requires low temperature, such as, simultaneous saccharification and fermentation, since it presents lower optimum temperature in comparison to enzymes from terrestrial microorganisms.

The conversion of cellulose into fermentable sugars is a process of great interest to the industry and biotechnological research. The search for new sources of enzymes capable of hydrolyzing these polymers becomes urgent because of the numerous applications for energy generation. The depolymerization of the cellulose can be carried out by an enzymatic complex of cellulases capable of hydrolyzing the cellulose fractions to their glucose monomers. These enzymes are produced by microorganisms, such as filamentous fungi, that live in several types of habitats, including inside the digestive system of animals' wood consuming, as is the case of shipworms. The objective of this work was to investigate the presence of microorganisms in the digestive organs of Nausitora fusticulus shipworm and to evaluate the production of cellulases by these microspecies. From the digestive tract of N. fusticulus specimens, fungi and bacteria were isolated, and from the total of isolates, some fungi presented cellulase production. Enzyme-producing fungi were separated by enzyme index tests and the ones with the best performance were selected to produce enzymes in liquid medium in the presence of carboxy-methylcellulose and sugar cane bagasse as substrates. Cultures with sugar cane bagasse showed higher production of cellulases, indicating that these fungi can be induced to increase their

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