Extracellular deoxyribonuclease production by yeasts.

A total of 20 genera of yeasts and yeastlike organisms were tested for their ability to produce an extracellular deoxyribonuclease. Results indicate that ability to produce the enzyme appears to be a specific characteristic of the three genera Rhodotorula, Cryptococcus, and Tremella. A single strain of Endomycopsis fibuligera was also shown to be positive for the enzyme. In comparing the ability of the organisms to excrete extracellular deoxyribonuclease with their ability to produce urease, a surprisingly close correlation was found. With the exception of Lipomyces starkeyi, all the organisms which were deoxyribonuclease-negative were also urease-negative. Of those organisms which were deoxyribonuclease-positive, only E. fibuligera was urease-negative. The ability of cryptococci to produce extracellular deoxyribonuclease is discussed in relation to the implication which this finding may have for the taxonomy and phylogeny of the genus.