• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.339-345
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• 1987

A bacterium K-4-3, producing $\beta$-glucan hydrolyzing enzyme, was isolated from soil and identified to be Bacillus subtilis by its morpholohical and physiological characteristics. $\beta$-glucan was coloured using cibacron blue 3G-A and cross linded by the addition of 1, 4-butanedioldiglycidyl ether. This substrate was used for the isolation of $\beta$-glucanase producing microorganism. The $\beta$-glucan hydrolyzing enzyme actibity from isolated K-4-3 strain was also measured using the modified substrate. Bacillus subtilis K-4-3 produced the highest extracellular $\beta$-glucan hydrolyzing activity in the basal medium containing $\beta$-glucan as a carbon source, peptone and tryptone as a nitrogen source, and magnesium sulfate as an inorganic salt. The optimum temperature and initial pH for $\beta$-glucanase production by Bacillus subtilis K-4-3 were $37^{\circ}C$ and pH6. The highest enzyme activity was obtained at the culture age of 54 hrs with rotary shaking at $37^{\circ}C$. The crude enzyme showed the highest activity at pH 7.5-8.0 and $65^{\circ}C$.