Selection and study of mutants of Dekkera intermedia and Candida wickerhamii derepressed for β-glucosidase production

Mutants of Candida wickerhamii and Dekkera intermedia, derepressed for β-glucosidase biosynthesis, were isolated. These mutants were also shown to hyperproduce this enzyme. In anaerobic culture, the C. wickerhamii mutant still hyperproduced β-glucosidase and was derepressed. Glucose-cellobiose anaerobic fermentation by this strain was thus improved. On the other hand, the D. intermedia mutant did not show any difference from the wild-type strain in anaerobic culture.