Abstract
A thermophilic, N, N'-diacetyIchitobiose((GlcNAc)2)-producing bacterium, strain X-7u, was isolated from hot spring water and identified as Bacillus lieheniformis. When X-7u was cultivated in a medium consisting of 2.0% colloidal chitin, 0.05% yeast extract and inorganic salts at 50°C under shaking, (GlcNAc)2 was accumulated to a concentration of 9.6 g/l within 5 days. This corresponded to 46% of the stoichiometric yield of (GlcNAc)2. The strain also produced a small amount of N, N'N"-triacetylchitotriose. However, neither N-acetylglucosamine nor other oligosaccharides were accumulated throughout the culture period.
