330 NON-SACCHAROMYCETES OR DOUBTFUL YEASTS 



TORULA FROM "SOYA" MASH. Kita 



Kita 1 examined different " soya " mashes and found a yeast which was 

 much like Saccharomyces soya, Saito, 2 with the exception that no asco- 

 spores were found. Kita inoculated a sample of the mash into "soya " 

 decoction containing salt. This was eventually plated out on "koji " 

 gelatin to which 10 per cent of salt was added. Lindner's droplet 

 method was finally employed for getting pure cultures. 



The cells were usually round, sometimes elliptical with thick 

 walls which were easily visible under the microscope. The plasma 

 was wavy. Vacuoles were seldom seen. The size of the cells in 

 "koji " decoction was 4.5-8 ^t. 



The colonies on "koji" extract-gelatin-agar were round or star- 

 shaped, colored yellow, elevated in the middle with a smooth periph- 

 ery. Giant colonies on the same medium are yellow, with a sunken 

 center, granular surface and wavy periphery. Streak cultures are 

 moist, yellow, granular and with wavy edges. In "koji " extract to 

 which 10 per cent of salt has been added, growth is luxuriant. A 

 ring is formed and the medium seems to contain suspended floes. It 

 ferments glucose, maltose, but not galactose, sucrose, lactose, raffinose 

 nor arabinose. The optimum temperature for growth and fermenta- 

 tion is about 28 C. No endospores are formed by young cells on 

 the plaster block. There seem to be no described species of Torula 

 which agree with the characters of this one. 



Genus III. Mycoderma. 3 Persoon 



Under this name are grouped a number of yeasts which vegetate 

 normally in contact with air and which form a scum but do not cause 

 an alcoholic fermentation. At the beginning of the culture period, 

 there is formed a folded sc m filled with air bubbles. Ordinarily 

 long cells, budding at the ends with a transparent protoplasm with 

 one or more refractive granules at both poles, are present. The 

 Mycoderma, on the whole, seem to possess the characteristics of the 

 fourth group of the Saccharomycetes (Pichia and Willia) and are 

 perhaps asporogenic forms of the latter. Some of them are pig- 

 ment ed. The Mycoderma are very widespread in air and live es- 

 pecially on solutions containing alcohol. 



1 Kita, V. G. Haupthefe der sojamaische. Orig. Communications 8th 

 International Congress of Applied Chem. 14 (1912), 99-106. 



2 Saito, K. Cent. Bakt. Abt. 2, 17, 104, 152. 



3 It is well not to confound the Mycoderma with Mycoderma aceti which is a 

 bacterium. 



