Disruption of the gene encoding ß-1, 3-glucanase in marine-derived Williopsis saturnus WC91-2 enhances its killer toxin activity.

As the ß-1, 3-glucanase produced by the marine-derived Williopsis saturnus WC91-2 could inhibit the activity of the killer toxin produced by the same yeast, the WsEXG1 gene encoding exo-ß-1, 3-glucanase in W. saturnus WC91-2 was disrupted. The disruptant WC91-2-2 only produced a trace amount of ß-1, 3-glucanase but had much higher activity of killer toxin than W. saturnus WC91-2. After the disruption of the WsEXG1 gene, the expression of the gene was significantly decreased from 100% in the cells of W. saturnus WC91-2 to 27% in the cells of the disruptant WC91-2-2 while the expression of the killer toxin gene in W. saturnus WC91-2 and the disruptant WC91-2-2 was almost the same. During 2-l fermentation, the disruptant WC91-2-2 could produce the highest amount of killer toxin (the size of the inhibition zone was 22 ± 0.7 mm) within 36 h when the cell growth reached the middle of the log phase.

Enhanced ß-galactosidase production from whey powder by a mutant of the psychrotolerant yeast Guehomyces pullulans 17-1 for hydrolysis of lactose.

In order to isolate ß-galactosidase overproducers of the psychrotolerant yeast Guehomyces pullulans 17-1, its cells were mutated by using nitrosoguanidine (NTG). One mutant (NTG-133) with enhanced ß-galactosidase production was obtained. The mutant grown in the production medium with 30.0 g/l lactose and 2.0 g/l glucose could produce more ß-galactosidase than the same mutant grown in the production medium with only 30.0 g/l lactose while ß-galactosidase production by its wild type was sensitive to the presence of glucose in the medium. It was found that 40.0 g/l of the whey powder was the most suitable for ß-galactosidase production by the mutant. After optimization of the medium and cultivation conditions, the mutant could produce 29.2 U/ml of total ß-galactosidase activity within 132 h at the flask level while the mutant could produce 48.1 U/ml of total ß-galactosidase activity within 144 h in 2-l fermentor. Over 77.1% of lactose in the whey powder (5.0% w/v) was hydrolyzed in the presence of the ß-galactosidase activity of 280 U/g of lactose within 9 h while over 77.0% of lactose in the whey was hydrolyzed in the presence of ß-galactosidase activity of 280 U/g of lactose within 6 h. This was the first time to show that the ß-galactosidase produced by the psychrotolerant yeast could be used for hydrolysis of lactose in the whey powder and whey.