Production of galacto-oligosaccharide from lactose by Sterigmatomyces elviae CBS8119

Our stock cultures were screened for microorganisms that can produce galacto-oligosaccharide (Gal-OS) from lactose. Of the 574 strains of bacteria and yeasts tested, Sterigmatomyces elviae CBS8119, Rhodotorula minuta IFO879, and Sirobasidium magnum CBS6803 were found to be efficient producers of Gal-OS from lactose and S. elviae CBS8119 was selected as a representative, high-level producing strain. With toluene-treated resting S. elviae CBS8119 cells, 135 mg of Gal-OS per ml was produced from 360-mg/ml lactose. During this reaction, the by-product glucose was found to inhibit Gal-OS production. Therefore, in order to remove the glucose from the reaction mixture, a culture method in which cell growth followed the enzymatic reaction was devised, which increased the yield of Gal-OS considerably because of the consumption of glucose for cell growth. Under such conditions, 232 mg of Gal-OS per ml was produced from 360-mg/ml lactose after incubation at 30 degrees C for 60 h. The structure of the major product was identified as O-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1 leads to 4)-O-beta -D-galactopyranosyl-(1 leads to 4)-D-glucopyranose (4'-galactosyl-lactose) by 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy