Abstract

Five species of 25 isolates of thermophilic and thermotolerant fungi were isolated from hot springs of Wu-Rai of Northern Taiwan and they are identified as following five species: i.e., Aspergillus fumigatus, Thermomyces lanuginosus (Humicola lanuginosa), Humicola insolens, Penicillium dupontii and Rhizoctonia sp. Each species shows special characteristics in physiology and enzymatic activity. In physiological characteristics, all isolates can grow at 55ºC and 4 strains of T. lanuginosus can grow over 60ºC even reach to 64ºC. It may be the maximium growth temperature for fungi so far recorded. In primary screening test, 80 % of isolates have amylase and 60% have proteinase activities and 20% have lipase activities. This is the first report to show fungal flora and the rich microbes potential in hot springs of Taiwan.

中文摘要

本研究以台灣北部烏來溫泉為採樣區，共分離出25 株嗜熱性與耐熱性真菌，分屬下列五種：Aspergillus fumigatus, Humicola insolens, Penicillium dupontii, Thermomyces lanuginosus及Rhizoctonia sp.。 由溫泉所分離出的真菌在生理及酵素反應上有許多的特色。在生理方面，所有由溫泉所分離出的真菌皆可生存於攝氏55度的高溫，而其中更有菌株Thermomyces lanuginosus (E05，E06) 可以高於攝氏60 度（目前已知真菌生存的最高溫度），達到攝氏64 度的生長極限，這是一個新的生長極限紀錄。在酵素活性方面，80%分離株有amylase 活性及 60% 菌株有proteinase活性，至於具lipase 活性菌株則為 20%。本研究報告是首次以台灣溫泉為研究對象，分離並分析其中所蘊藏的真菌，可說明台灣溫泉區含極豐富的微生物資源。

Keyword: Taiwan, Hot springs, Fungi, Microbes potential.