African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 3 (11), pp. 618-621, November 2004
ISSN 1684–5315 © 2004 Academic Journals

Short Communication

Mutation induced enhanced biosynthesis of lipase

K.V.V.S.N. Bapiraju^1*, P. Sujatha¹, P. Ellaiah² and T. Ramana¹

¹Department of Biotechnology, Andhra University, India.

²Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Andhra University, India.

*Corresponding author. E-Mail: kbapiraju@yahoo.com. Tel: +91-891-2734821. Fax: +91-891-2734821.

Accepted 15 September, 2004

The purpose of the present investigation is to enhance production of biomedically important enzyme lipase by subjecting the indigenous lipase producing strain Rhizopus sp. BTS-24 to improvement by natural selection and random mutagenesis (UV and N-methyl-N’-nitro-N-nitroso guanidine, NTG). The isolation of mutants and the lipolytic activity of selected mutants were described. The best natural selectant BTNS₁₂   showed 110% higher lipase activity than the wild strain (BTS-24). The lipase yield of the best UV mutant BTUV₃ was 164% higher than the parent strain (BTNS₁₂) and 180% times higher than the wild strain (BTS-24). Also, the lipase yield of the best NTG mutant BTNT₂ was 133 % higher than the parent strain (BTUV₃) and 232% higher than the wild strain (BTS-24). The results indicated that UV and NTG were effective mutagenic agents for strain improvement of Rhizopus sp. BTS-24 for enhanced lipase productivity.

Key words: Lipase, Rhizopus, UV, NTG.