Stimulation of β-(l → 6)-glucanase production by oxidized pustulan

Abstract

A strain of Penicillium lilacinum, isolated from soil, produced pustulanase, β-(1 → 3)-glucanase, (EC. 3.2.1.6) and cellulase (EC.3.2.1.4) when cultivated on a medium containing pustulan as the sole source of carbon. If pustulan was replaced by ketopustulan, the production of pustulanase was stimulated about 10-fold although the amount of stimulation was dependent on the degree of oxidation of pustulan. β-(1 → 3)-Glucanase production was stimulated slightly by ketopustulan; however, the degree of oxidation did not affect significantly the yield of this enzyme. Cellulase production was either unaffected by the oxidized polymer, or at higher degrees of oxidation, decreased. Tween 80 stimulated the production of the three enzymes in media containing ketopustulan with a low degree of oxidation but was inhibitory to pustulanase and cellulase production in media containing ketopustulan with a high degree of oxidation. A combination of gel filtration and isoelectric focusing revealed that each enzyme activity was attributable to at least two proteins.