The effect of chemical mutagen applications on enzyme production to increase methane yield

The natural mutation rate in most microorganisms is typically a limiting factor in evolutionary engineering, as beneficial mutations occur very rarely. In this study, the effects of various chemical mutagens on Bacillus licheniformis , Bacillus halotolerans , and Salmonella enterica strains isolated from biogas processes were evaluated. Differences between the findings of this study and those reported in the literature are likely due to species-specific mutation responses and the distinct mechanisms of action of mutagenic agents. Despite decades of active use and the growing interest in mutagenesis applications, the characterization of induced mutations at the nucleotide sequence level remains limited. Therefore, systematic investigations into the genomic changes induced by mutagens and their correlation with phenotypic outcomes are essential for advancing microbial strain improvement. Furthermore, since only a small proportion of mutated microorganisms exhibit the desired phenotype, the development of efficient screening and selection methods is crucial. This study provides a comparative evaluation of the effects of different mutagenic agents on microorganisms isolated from biogas processes, contributing to the understanding of species-specific mutation mechanisms and offering insights for enhancing enzymatic productivity and biogas yield through evolutionary engineering approaches.