GROWTH OF A THERMOTOLERANT ETHANOL-PRODUCING STRAIN OF KLUYVEROMYCES-MARXIANUS ON CELLOBIOSE CONTAINING MEDIA

The thermotolerant yeast strain, Kluyveromyces marxianus IMB3, was sho wn to be capable of limited growth on cellobiose containing media at 4 5 degrees C. Growth, sugar utilization and ethanol production were sho wn to increase in the presence of exogenously added thermostable funga l beta-glucosidase. During active growth of the organism on cellobiose -containing media, beta-glucosidase activity was detected in cell lysa te preparations with only minor amounts of activity present in the ext racellular culture filtrate. The results suggest that limitations in e thanol production by this organism during growth on cellobiose contain ing media may be overcome by addition of exogenously added beta-glucos idase which results in increased substrate access to the biocatalytic unit.