The EEA profiles of yeast and yeast-like strains are given in Tables 1 and 2.
More than 26% of A. pullulans strains demonstrated the ability to hydrolyse starch, while this ability was observed in only a few ascomycetes and basidiomycetes (Tables 1 and 2).
More than 81% of basidiomycetes and 34% of A. pullulans strains were positive for EsA (Tables 1 and 2). The use of chemically different esters (Tween 80 or Tween 60) did not produce significant differences in EsA profiles.
More than 60% of ascomycetes and 43% of A. pullulans isolates exhibited LipA (Tables 1 and 2). All lipolytic strains hydrolysed either tributyrin or triolein indifferently.
Approximately one-third of basidiomycetes exhibited caseinolytic activity; this character was expressed almost exclusively by Cryptococcus sp. and Pseudozyma sp. isolates (Table 2). In particular, 83% of Pseudozyma antarctica strains were caseinolytic (Table 2). Only half of caseinolytic basidiomycetes were able to hydrolyse gelatine.
More than 21% of A. pullulans isolates demonstrated the ability to hydrolyse pectin (Table 1) as well as 63% of Ps. antarctica strains (Table 2).
A few strains of basidiomycetes and one of A. pullulans were chitinolytic (Tables 1 and 2), while no cellulolytic strain was observed.