Production of phytase in a low phosphate medium by a novel yeast Candida krusei

A yeast strain producing high levels of phytase was isolated from soil and identified as Candida krusei. The phytase was located on the yeast cell wall and was a glucanase-extractable protein. The phytase production was controlled by the phosphate concentration in the medium used. The maximum production of phytase occurred in a medium containing 0.5 mg of phosphorus per 100 nil, and most of the cells were ellipsoid-shaped and did not exhibit budding. Increasing the concentration of phosphorus in the medium to more than 5 mg of phosphorus per 100 nil caused inhibition of phytase production and 90% of the cells exhibited budding. On the other hand, transferring cells grown in the high-phosphate medium into a phosphate-free one derepressed the phytase production. For example, transferring cells grown in 2 mg of phosphorus per 100 nil into the phosphate-free medium, enhanced the total phytase activity up to 5.5-fold that in the medium containing 0.5 mg of phosphorus per 100 nil. The phytase showed two optimum pHs of 2.5 and 5.5, an optimum temperature of 40 degreesC and the K-m value for Na-phytate was 0.03 mM. Using in vitro experiments that simulated the conditions of the digestive tract, 50-80% phosphorus was liberated from different plant samples (wheat bran, rice bran and feeds) by the strain.