ISOLATION AND SOME PROPERTIES OF BETA-GALACTOSIDASE PRODUCING BACTERIA

A/3-galactosidase producing strain was isolated. It belongs to the genus Bacillus from its morphological characteristics but it grows better in alkaline media. This strain produced a 0-galactosidase inducibly and the induction of the enzyme was faster at pH 10.2 than at pH 7.2. At pH 8.5, intact cells exhibited higher enzyme activity than toluenized cells. At 60°C, pH 10.2 grown cells exhibited relatively higher enzyme activity than pH 7.6 grown cells. This difference in stabilization of the enzyme may be explained by the difference of outer surface under different culture conditions. © 1979, by the Agricultural Chemical Society of Japan.