[Biosorption ability of mutants of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa UCM Y-1776]

Twenty stable mutants with various coloration intensity have been allocated in carotene-synthesizing natural strain Rhodotorula mucilaginosa UCM Y-1776 (wild type) after nitrosoguanidine action. Two brightly orange mutants 4L and 11 and one non-pigmented mutant 2 were chosen for the further researches. The ultraviolet was inefficient as a mutagen. Resistance to high concentration of copper ions (up to 200 mg/g), high sorption ability (Qmax = 9.1 mmol/g) was characteristic of R. mucilaginosa UCM Y-1776. Concentration of copper ions 50 mg/l was toxic for mutants 4L, 11 and 2, which sorption ability was lower in comparison with carotene pigmented R. mucilaginosa UCM Y-1776. It was shown, for the first time that there was a direct dependence between the presence of carotenoid pigments, resistance to high concentration of copper ions and sorption ability for yeast R. mucilaginosa UCM Y-1776.