Lipase production by Trichosporon fermentans WU-C12, a newly isolated yeast

From the soil samples of various locations, 245 strains of microorganisms were isolated by the enrichment culture method using olive oil as a carbon source. Of these microorganisms one deuteromycotinous yeast was the best producer of extracellular lipase, and the strain WU-C12 was identified as Trichosporon fermentans from the morphological and taxonomical properties. When cultivated at 30°C for 4 d in the medium containing 8% (w/v) corn steep and 3% (v/v) olive oil as sources of nitrogen and carbon, T. fermentans WU-C12 produced 126 U/ml of extracellular lipase. When 3% (v/v) tung oil was used instead of 3% (v/v) olive oil, 146 U/ml of the lipase was produced. Although lipase production decreased to 40 U/ml by the addition of 2% (w/v) glucose to the corn steep-olive oil medium, the strain WU-C12 produced 34 U/ml of lipase in the medium containing 2% (w/v) glucose instead of 3% (v/v) olive oil. On the other hand, T. fermentans WU-C12 could grow and produce lipase in the medium containing n-paraffin as a carbon source.