• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.23 no.5
• /
• pp.506-512
• /
• 1995

A cell aggregation factor produced by Aspergillus sp. LAM 94-142 was purified and partially characterized. The factor was purified about 15 folds from culture broth by IRA 420 and IRC 120 treatment, 1% NaCl added acetone precipitation, and Sepharose 4B column chromatography with overall yield of 48%. It was heteropolysaccharide consisted of mannose, arabinose, and glucose with a molar ratio, 31:17:2, and its molecular weight was estimated to be about 900,000 daltons by Sepharodse 4B gel filtration method. The optimum pH and temperature was 8 and 40$\circ$C, respectively. The factor was stable in pH range of 3-9 and at 100$\circ$C for 90 min. The cell aggregation activity of the factor was inhibited by the addition of Hg$^{2+}$, Fe$^{2+}$, Cu$^{2+}$, and some polypeptides such as milk casein or hemoglobin. The factor aggregated Bacillus subtilis, B. macerans, B. turingiensis, E. coli, Peudomonas aeruginosa, P. fluorescens, P. malophilia, and weakly aggregated Staphylococcus sp., Sarcina lutea, P. putida and Cryptococcus neoformnans, but it didn't aggregate various strains of Candida sp. and Saccharomyces sp.