Production of fungal cell wall degrading enzymes by a biocontrol strain of Bacillus subtilis AF 1

Abstract

Fungal cell wall degrading chitinases and glucanases attained significance in agriculture, medicine, and environment management. The present study was conducted to describe the optimum conditions required for the production of β-1,4-N-acetyl glucosaminidase (NAGase) and β-1,3-glucanase by a biocontrol strain of Bacillus subtilis AF 1. B. subtilis AF 1 was grown in minimal medium with colloidal chitin (3.0%) and yeast extract (0.3% YE ) and incubated at pH 7.0 and 30°C on constant shaker at 180 rpm for 6 days produced highest amounts of NAGase. Presence of 0.5 mM of phenyl methyl sulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) and 0.04% of Tween 20 further improved the enzyme production. B. subtilis AF 1 grown in minimal medium with laminarin (1%) and yeast extract (0.3%) for 3 days produced maximum amount of β-1,3-glucanase. These conditions can be further scaled-up for large-scale production of NAGase and β-1,3-glucanase by B. subtilis AF 1.