Phenylalanine ammonia lyase production by gamma irradiated and analog-resistant mutants of Rhodotorula glutinis.

Mutants resistant to phenylalanine analogs (L-tyrosine, p-fluoro-D, L-phenylalanine (PFP) and trans-cinnamic acid) were isolated from a wild type strain of Rhodotorula glutinis A-97 by mutagenic treatment with gamma radiation and screened for phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) production. One such mutant, gammaT11 (resistant to L-tyrosine), exhibited four times the PAL activity of the parent wild strain A-97. Mutant isolate gammaTFP5.6 which was selected as L-tyrosine and PFP resistant isolate, produced inducible PAL activity at levels 5.94-fold higher than the wild-type A-97 and 2.66-fold higher than its parent mutant isolate gammaT5 which was resistant to L-tyrosine. The mutant isolate gammaTC5d which was resistant to L-tyrosine and trans-cinnamic acid, exhibited 3.48 and 1.56-fold increase in PAL activity compared to the parent wild strain A-97 and its parent mutant isolate gammaT5, respectively. Different media have been examined for the induction of PAL.