• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.251-259
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• 1990

Asp. usumii IAM 2185 was selected as a strain producing the powerful raw starch digesting glucoamylase. The optimum initial pH, the optimum temperature and the optimum cultural time for the enzyme production on wheat bran medium were pH 6-8,25-$30^{\circ}C$ and 72 hrs, respectively. The addition of ammonium nitrate and albumin on wheat bran medium, respectively, increase slightly the enzyme production. The enzyme was purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation, CM-cellulose and DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. The specific activity of the purified enzyme was 34.3 U/mg protein and the yield of enzyme activity was 10.3%. The purified enzyme showed a single band on polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis and its molecular weight was estimated to be 67,000 by SDS polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis. The isoelectric point for the purified enzyme was pR 3.7. The optimum temperature and optimum pH were $60^{\circ}C$and pH 3.0 and the purified enzyme was stable in the pH range of 1.0-11.0. The purified enzyme was stable below $50^{\circ}C$ and its thermostability was greatly increased by the addition of $Ca^{2+}$. The purified enzyme showed a high hydrolysis rate on various raw starches such as corn, rice, yam, arrow root, sweet potato and glutinous rice.