when the strains were grown on glucose P.antarctica NRRL Y-7808 was found to require the most base
addition in order to maintain the pH of the culture (data not
shown). Its culture supernatant showed the production of a substantial
amount of an unknown compound when analyzed by
HPLC. This strain was selected for further work. A second P.
antarctica strain (NRRL Y-8295) did not exhibit significant acid
production from glucose. Mass spectral analysis of the screening
culture extract of P. antarctica NRRL Y-7808 revealed the major
compound to be itaconic acid as identified by a mass spectral
library. The HPLC retention time of authentic itaconic acid was
the same as the culture product.