Production of encapsulated creatinase using yeast spores.

Yeast spores can be used as a carrier to produce enzyme capsules. In the present study, this technique was applied to a diagnostic enzyme named creatinase. We found that a secretory form of Pseudomonas putida creatinase could be entrapped in the spore wall, and such spores were used as creatinase capsules. The activity of the encapsulated creatinase was largely improved by mild spore wall defective mutations, such as DIT1 or OSW2 deletions. The advantages of this method include the following: encapsulated and freeze-dried creatinase is produced without preparing the purified enzyme, and it exhibits resistance to environmental stresses, such as high temperature and SDS treatments. Thus, yeast spores could be applied to establish quick and easy clinical diagnostic methods.