Yeast Cell Wall Lytic Enzyme Produced by Dicyma sp. YCH-37 II. Effect of Culture Conditions and Pretreatment of Yeast on the Enzyme Activity

We examined some properties of yeast cell wall lytic enzyme produced by Dicyma sp. YCH-37. Several metal ions, reducing reagents, and chemical modifiers have little effects on the lytic activity, except guanidine-HCl. Yeast cells of early log phase were more susceptible to the enzyme than those of stationary phase, and heat-treated cells were more easily lysed than intact living ones. Yeast cells pretreated with organic solvents such as butanol and acetone were more susceptible to the enzyme than intact living ones. Yeast cells cultured in Yeast extract-Malt extract medium containing 0.5 M ammonium sulfate were easily lysed by the lytic enzyme, and yeast cells cultured without shaking were more easily lysed by the enzyme than those with shaking. When SDS, , Triton X-100, sodium sulfite, and KCl were added to enzyme reaction mixture each, lysis of yeast cells was more effective.