Immunological Study of Pullulanase from Klebsiella Strains and the Occurrence of this Enzyme in the Enterobacteriaceae

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Abstract
The abilities of various Enterobacteriaceae strains to grow on starch or pullulan and the occurrence of pullulanase in these strains were studied. Only the Klebsiella strains grew well on amylopectin and pullulan and produced pullulanase. None of the Enterobacter strains produced pullulanase. The pullulanase produced by various strains of Klebsiella was examined by the immunodiffusion method. Culture filtrates and cell extracts of all of the Klebsiella strains tested formed a precipitin line against antiserum prepared with crystalline pullulanase from K. pneumoniae IFO 3321. Except for K. pneumoniae IFO 3317 and ATCC 21073, these lines fused completely with the homologous line. No materials which crossreacted with the antiserum were produced by the other Enterobacteriaceae strains studied. The production of the enzyme is discussed as a character of potential use in the classification and identification of strains of Enterobacteriaceae.