Cellulose is the most abundant polysaccharide with extremely high utilization value in the world. The degradation and transformation of cellulose plays an important role in the current situation of severe energy demand. However the complex structure of cellulose has become a major obstacle to its degradation, resulting in a low utilization rate. The degradation of cellulose relying on the synergistic effect of microorganisms is an effective way to realize resource recycling. However in cold regions, low temperature greatly limits microbial activity, which can seriously affect the efficiency of cellulose degradation. This paper overviewed cellulose structure and biodegradation mechanism, summarized and prospected cellulose degradation and low-temperature resistant degradation microorganisms, which can provide scientific references for the screening of microorganism strains, the resource utilization of cellulose in cold regions and future research in this field.