• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.18 no.6
• /
• pp.547-552
• /
• 1990

We have been searching microorganisms which produce highly active raw starch saccharifying enzyme and also have a good cultivation characters in submerged culture. About 170 strains of molds isolated from soil and compost were tested for their amylase productivity on plate contained 2% raw corn meal. Thirty-four strains out of 170 strains produced clearance on the plates, and were tested for their raw starch saccharifying activity. Then, 4 strains which had shown relatively high levels of saccharifying activity were selected. Among them, Strain No. 55 was found to have highest level of raw starch saccharifying activity, and selected for the further studies. In this paper, the morphological, physiological and cultural characteristics of Strain No. 55 were described. Based on the results obtained in these experiments, Strain No. 55 was identified to be a similar species to Aspergillus niger.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.140-146
• /
• 1991

Mutation experiments were performed to select the mutant of Aspergillus niger 55, which had lost almost all the ability to produce transglucosidases but retained that of high productivity of raw meal saccharifying enzyme, by means of successive induction with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine(MNNG), ultraviolet(UV) light, and ${\gamma}$-rays. Also, we used the mutant enrichment techniques, such as liquid culture-filtration procedure and differential heat sensitivity of conidia, in order to increase the possibility of obtaining a mutant. The glucoamylase productivity of mutant PFST-38 was 11 times higher than that of the parent strain. The mutant PFST-38 was morphologically identical to the parent strain, except for the size of conidia, the tendency to form conidia and the lenght of conidiophore. Asp. niger mutant PFST-38 apeared to be useful for the submerged production of the raw corn meal saccharifying enzyme.