유산균주의 균주개량방법의 일환으로 protoplast fusion 방법을 사용하여 lincomycin에 내성을 나타내는 Lactobacillus casei KCTC 1121과 rifampicin에 내성을 나타내는 Lactobacillus delbruckii JK-414의 protoplast 형성과 재생, 융합에 대한 조건 및 융합주의 생리학적 성질 등을 검토하였다. Lactobacillus case와 Lactobacillus delbrueckii JK-414는 삼투압 안정제로 sucrose가 함유된 protoplast forming buffer에서 5$mu g$/ml의 mutanolysin 으로 $42^{circ}C$, 15분간 처리 했을 때 protoplast 형성율이 높게 나타났다.
- Protoplast fusion between lincomycin resistant Lactobacillus casei KCTC 1121 and rifarnpicin resistant Lactobacillus delbrueckii JK-414 was attempted to obtain the improved strains. Protoplasts of L. casei and L. delbrueckii were produced by mutanolysin digestion at $42^{circ}C$ for 15 min. L. casei cells were converted to protoplasts by treating with 5 $mu g$ / m l of mutanolysin in 20 mM HEPES buffer (pH 7.0) containing 0.75 M sucrose at the middle logarithmic growth phase. In case of L. delbrueckii 1.0 M sucrose was used osmotic stabilizer. Regeneration of protoplast in both strains was efficiently accomplished on the regeneration medium containing 10% sucrose, 6 mM $MgC1_2, 6 mM CaC1_2$, and 2.5% gelatin. Protoplast fusion between L. casei and L. delbrueckii was carried out in the presence of 40% of PEG 4,000. The frequency of protoplast fusion was found to be about $3.2 imes 10^4$. Acid production of L. casei was better than that of L. delbrueckii. Among fusants, F23 and F35 exhibited excellent lactic acid production. F23 and F24 exhibited the improved proteolysis compared to that of the parent strains and they had twice as much as DNA content of the parents.
