Lignocellulose, composed mostly of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin generated through
secondary growth of woody plant, is considered as promising resources for biofuel. In order to
use lignocellulose as a biofuel, biodegradation besides high-cost chemical treatments were
applied, but knowledge on the decomposition of lignocellulose occurring in a natural
environment is insufficient. We analyzed the 16S rRNA gene and metagenome to understand
how the lignocellulose is decomposed naturally in decayed Torreya nucifera (L) of Bija forest
(Bijarim) in Gotjawal, an ecologically distinct environment. A total of 464,360 reads were
obtained from 16S rRNA gene sequencing, representing diverse phyla; Proteobacteria (51%),
Bacteroidetes (11%) and Actinobacteria (10%). The metagenome analysis using single
molecules real-time sequencing revealed that the assembled contigs determined originated
from Proteobacteria (58%) and Actinobacteria (10.3%). Carbohydrate Active enZYmes (CAZy)-
and Protein families (Pfam)-based analysis showed that Proteobacteria was involved in
degrading whole lignocellulose, and Actinobacteria played a role only in a part of
hemicellulose degradation. Combining these results, it suggested that Proteobacteria and
Actinobacteria had selective biodegradation potential for different lignocellulose substrates.
Thus, it is considered that understanding of the systemic microbial degradation pathways may
be a useful strategy for recycle of lignocellulosic biomass, and the microbial enzymes in Bija
forest can be useful natural resources in industrial processes.

Keywords: Lignocellulose degradation, Bija forest, metagenome, 16S rRNA, CAZy, Pfam