DETECTION AND COMPARISON OF STRAINS WITH SELECTIVE L-HYDANTOIN CLEAVING ACTIVITY USING POLYCLONAL ANTIBODIES

Polyclonal antibodies were produced against the highly purified enzyme s L-hydantoinase, hydantoin-racemase and L-N-carbamoylamino acid amido hydrolase of Arthrobacter aurescens DSM 3747. Using these antibodies a s screening tools, a colony transfer procedure allowed the rapid detec tion of highly active strains. Furthermore, common Western-blot analys is enabled the direct estimation of internal enzyme concentrations, pr otein turnover, efficiency of different inducers and a molecular compa rison of enzymes derived from different sources. Using this method it is demonstrated that of several tested microorganisms, two Arthrobacte r strains showed improved production abilities.