Strains degrading polysaccharides produced by bacteria from paper machines

Biofilm-degrading enzymes are potential agents for slime control in paper m achines. In this work, extracellular polysaccharides were produced by bacte ria isolated from paper machines and the isolated polysaccharides were used as substrates for the screening of polysaccharide-degrading microbes. Poly saccharide yields of 1.5-3.5 g/l were obtained by ethanol precipitation fro m cultures of strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bacillus licheniformis and Pseudomonas fluorescens on sucrose medium. Two K. pneumoniae strains appare ntly produced an identical heteropolysaccharide containing galacturonic aci d. Fructose-containing polysaccharides were the main products of B. licheni formis and R fluorescens. Bacteria capable of hydrolyzing the fructose-cont aining polymers (levans) appeared to be relatively common among the strains selected for screening. None of the bacteria or mixed cultures screened we re able to utilize the Klebsiella heteropolysaccharides.