Isolation of Soil Bacteria Secreting Raw-Starch-Digesting Enzyme and the Enzyme Production

Two strains (No. 26 and 143) of bacteria which secrete both pectinase and raw-starch-digesting amylase simultaneously, were isolated from various domestic soil samples. The two bacteria were identified as Pasteurella ureae judging by their morphological and physiological characteristics. The optimal culture conditions for the production of raw-starch-digesting enzyme by the Pasteurella ureae 26 were using $NH_4NO_3$ as the nitrogen source at $37^{\circ}C$ with the pH of 7.5, and 15 of C/N ratio. Since the enzyme was produced only when raw or soluble starch was used as a carbon source, but not when glucose or other sugars was used, the enzyme was considered to be an inducible enzyme by starch. Thin layer chromatography of the hydrolyzed product of starch by the raw-starch-digesting enzyme of the strain No. 26 showed that glucose, maltose and other oligosaccharides were present in the hydrolyzates, and therefore the enzyme seemed to be ${\alpha}-amylase$. The enzyme had adsorbability onto raw com starch in the pH range of 3 to 9.