[Screening of strain producing extracellular penicillin acylase]

Ninety-eight strains having extracellular penicillin acylase activity were derived from soil samples by colour-developing method. 10 strains of them possess higher activity of penicillin acylase. All of those are found to be Bacillus megaterium. The optimum condition of enzyme production was investigated with the strain No. 46 which is from No. 247 by single colony isolation. The productivity of penicillin acylase in the optimum condition have been enhanced 2.5 times more than that in the screening condition. The mutant strain, Bacillus megaterium UL-81, which penicillin acylase activity reached the level of 723u/100ml of broth was obtained from No. 46 by treatment with physical and chemical factors. The penicillin acylase activity of UL-81 can reach 820u/100 ml in 500L fermentor. The mutant strain differed from parent strain in the morphology of colony, the size of cells, the effect of concentration and the addition time of phenylacetic acid on the production of penicillin acylase.