Pichia fermentans B4-1 phytase with the potential for enhancing soil phosphorous bioavailability

Nadezhda Nankova, Maria Valkova, Emiliya Pisareva, Anna Tomova and Ventsislava Petrova
Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Faculty of Biology, Department of General and Industrial Microbiology, Sofia, Bulgaria

Abstract

Nankova, N., Valkova, M., Pisareva, E., Tomova, A. & Petrova, V. (2024). Pichia fermentans B4-1 phytase with the potential for enhancing soil phosphorous bioavailability. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 30 (Supplement 1), 63–68

A yeast strain Pichia fermentans B4-1, newly isolated from traditional fermented Bulgarian boza was chosen as a perspective producer of an extracellular phytase to degrade organic phytate and improve soil mineral conditions. The crude enzyme preparation could be applied at temperatures up to 50 °C and pH 5.0. It preserved 100% of its activity after incubation at 45°C for 90 min. In addition to sodium phytate, the P. fermentans B4-1 phytase can hydrolyze a broad range of substrates, such as ATP, glucose 6-phosphate, fructose 1,6-biphosphate, and glycerol 2-phosphate. Partial inhibition of phytase activity was detected (59–73% residual activity) in the presence of mono- and divalent cations like K+, Na+, Zn2+, Ca2+, Cu2+, and Mn2+ at 1 M concentration.

Keywords: yeast; phytase; phosphorus; PSM; soil fertility

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