Immunological Relationships of Alcohol Dehydrogenases in the Genus Rhizopus

The production of ethanol and acids were compared as well as intracellular activities of alcohol dehydrogenase and their antigenicities of four strains of Rhizopus species. The amounts of ethanol produced were in the following order: R. javanicus ATCC 44037>R. delemar IFO 4746>R. javanicus IFO 5441>R. oryzae IFO 5384, while the amounts of acids produced were in the following order: R, oryzae IFO 5384>R. javanicus ATCC 44037>R. javanicus IFO 5441>R. delemar IFO 4746. The specific activity of alcohol dehydrogenase was proportional to the amount of ethanol produced by these strains and also the alcohol dehydrogenases of tested strains were antigenically similar. Therefore we assume that the variable amounts of ethanol produced by these strains are the results of the regulation by the degree of alcohol dehydrogenase activity in cells rather than the influence of alcohol dehydrogenase which has altered molecular properties.