Isolation and Characterization of Soil Strains Producing Glutaryl-7-Aminocephalosporanic Acid Acylase

A search was undertaken to screen microorganisms that produce an enzyme capable of deacylating glutary1-7-amincephalosporanic acid to 7-aminocephalosporanic acid in soil samples. The screening was carried out by preparing enrichment cultures containing glutary-7ACA and cephalosporin C as selective carbon sources. A non-${\beta}$-lactam model compound,, glutary-p-nitroanilide, was synthesized as a substrate suitable for the rapid screening of microorganisms isolated from the enrichment cultures. Two isolates exhibiting acylase activity, designated BY7.4 and BY8.1, were identified as strains of Pseudomonas species. Pseudomonas BY8.1 showed higher acylase activity toward G1-7ACA than Pseudomonas BY7.4. Environmental conditions for the optimal acylase activity of Pseudomonas BY8.1 were shown to be pH9 and 30$^{\circ}C$.