Hyper-CMCase-producing mutants of Bacillus sp. 79-23 induced by gamma-radiation

Abstract

Bacillus sp. 79-23 spores were irradiated with 60Co gamma-rays at doses ranging from 0.5 to 5 kGy. Following gamma-irradiation, seven mutant strains were isolated by scoring the halo sizes formed around the colonies grown on LB agar plates containing 4% carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and trypan blue. The mutant strains showed a 1.5 to 2-fold increase in carboxymethylcellulase (CMCase) activity over the parent strain. Wheat bran acted as an effective inducer for CMCase production in the parent and mutant strains. Mutant strains 68 and 70 were identified as exhibiting higher CMCase activities than those of other mutants in LB media both with and without 3% wheat bran. In addition, these strains seem to produce substantially lower amounts of capsular materials, whereas the parent strain produced large amounts of them in both liquid and solid LB media. In flask cultures, the CMCase production by mutants 68 and 70 reached maximum levels of 17.5 unit/ml and 15.7 unit/ml, respectively, in an LB medium containing 3% wheat bran.