Improved productivity of β-fructofuranosidase by a derepressed mutant of Aspergillus niger from conventional and non-conventional substrates

Abstract

Wild-type cultures of Aspergillus niger produced a basal level of β-fructofuranosidase on glucose of 1 IU l−1 h−1. In contrast, a catabolite-derepressed mutant strain of the same organism produced a markedly higher level (25 IU l−1 h−1) of this enzyme when grown on the same carbon source. Wheat bran induced both the wild type (252 IU l−1 h−1) and the mutant strain (516 IU l−1 h−1) to produce 252- to 516-fold higher levels of this enzyme than was observed with the wild-type grown on glucose and was the best carbon source. When corn steep liquor served as a nitrogen source, the wild-type organism showed a higher activity of enzyme on monosaccharides and disaccharides comparable to that produced by corncobs in the basal medium and that mutant was a potentially improved (> 2-fold) organism for the production of β-fructofuranosidase on all carbon sources. Enhanced substrate consumption and product formation kinetic parameters suggest that the mutant organism may be exploited for bulk production of this useful enzyme.