Gelatinase Activity by Marine Fungi.

Gelatinase activity was detectable in the culture filtrates of 13 of 14 species of marine fungi tested. The fungi were grown under conditions of submerged culture in a medium consisting of corn meal, soybean meal, and CaCO(3). The degree of enzymatic activity did not necessarily correlate with the amino nitrogen content of the filtrates. Eight of the filtrates contained measurable quantities of glutamic acid and alanine. Highest levels of gelatinase were obtained in the culture filtrates of Halosphaeria mediosetigera. Increasing the corn meal concentration of the medium resulted in even greater production of gelatinase by H. mediosetigera, whereas amino acid yields were enhanced by higher concentrations of soybean meal. Supplementation of the high corn meal medium with either a mineral mixture or distillers' solubles brought about a faster rate of production of gelatinase and, in the case of the distillers' solubles, a significantly higher level of enzyme, as well.