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 ml, 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 ml 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 ml 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 ml. The phytase showed two optimum pHs of 2.5 and 5.5, an optimum temperature of 40 degrees C 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.