Effect of sodium chloride on the growth of certain yeasts of marine origin

Abstract

Abstract The effects of sodium chloride on the ability to grow, on growth rate, and on optimum cell yield of certain species of yeasts from marine fish have been investigated. These yeasts fall into two definite groups depending on the concentration of salt which permits optimum growth; within each group minor differences in response are observed. Debaryomyces spp. are shown to possess greater halo‐tolerance than most of the other genera and, further, yeasts of marine origin are usually more halo‐tolerant than corresponding species of terrestrial origin. As the concentration of salt increases to 8.0% w/v the duration of the lag phase increases, that of the log phase decreases, and the growth rate remains constant. Further investigations reveal that a complex organic nitrogen source can stimulate growth and increase the maximum salt‐tolerance.