Screening of sub-antarctic yeasts for b-frutosidase activity

ALBANESI, A; CAVELLO, IA; HERNANDEZ, L; ROJAS, L; CAVALITTO, S; GONZALES, M; ARRIZÓN, J

Oaxaca

Simposio; 8th International Fructan Symposium (IFS2016); 2016

Microorganismsfrom extreme environments are tentative sources of enzymes with particularproperties which are often desirable for biotech applications. In this study,we explored the presence of sucrose-transforming enzymes in a set of 45 coldadapted yeasts isolated from a subantartic region of Tierra del Fuego,Argentina. Three strains clearly hydrolyzying inulin on solid medium wereidentified as Guehomyces pullulans, Candida parapsilosis and Cryptococcusadeliensis. The yeasts succeeded to grow in liquid medium containing glycerol,glucose, inulin, Agave fructans, lactose, or sucrose as a sole carbon source.In all cases, saccharolytic activity was detected both in the culture supernatantand in entire cells that were previously permeabilized according to Rodriguez-Colinaset al.2011. The presence of β-fructosidase enzymes was confirmed by usingraffinose as an alternative substrate. To our knowledge, this is the firstreport of β-fructosidase activity in subantartic yeasts.