Studies on the Breeding of High Lovastatin-Producing Strains by Fusion of Inactivated Protoplasts from Aspergillus terreus and Monascus anka

Abstract:

In order to isolate a high lovastatin-producing Monascus strains,protoplast fusion technology was introduced in this manuscript.The protoplasts of Aspergillus terreus and Monascus anka was prepared under 5 hour and 3.5 hour enzymolysis,respectively,by mixed enzymes(0.5% lysozyme +0.3% Cellulase +0.3% snail enzyme) and then inactive by ultraviolet irradiation(20 W,30 cm)for 5 min and 4 min,respectively and mixed with PEG(30% PEG,0.05mol/L CaCl2,0.05 mol/L glycine).27 high lovastatin-producing strains were obtained from 187 fusants.Seven of them exhibited more than twice the yield of the original Monascus strain.