Prodigiosin formation by Serratia marcescens in a chemostat

J. S. Rokem*, P. Weitzman

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

16 Scopus citations

Abstract

In a study of the control of metabolite formation, prodigiosin production by Serratia marcescens was used as a model. Specific production rates of prodigiosin formation were determined using batch culture technique. Sucrose as carbon source and NH4NO3 as nitrogen source resulted in a specific production rate of 0.476 mg prodigiosin (g cell dry weight)-1 h-1. Prodigiosin formation and productivity was inversely correlated to growth rate when the bacterium was grown under carbon limitation on a defined medium in a chemostat culture. The maximum specific growth rate (μmax) was 0.54 h-1 and prodigiosin was formed in amounts over 1 mg l-1 up to a growth rate (μ) of 0.3 h-1 at steady state conditions. At a dilution rate of 0.1 h-1 growth at steady state with carbon and phosphate limitation supported prodigiosin formation giving a similar specific yield [1.17 mg prodigiosin (g cell dry weight)-1 and 0.94 mg g-1, respectively], however, cells grown with nitrogen limitation [(NH4)2SO4] did not form prodigiosin. Productivity in batch culture was 1.33 mg l-1 h-1 as compared to 0.57 mg l-1 h-1 in the chemostat.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)153-155
Number of pages3
JournalEnzyme and Microbial Technology
Volume9
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 1987

Keywords

  • continuous reactor
  • metabolite release
  • nutrient limitation
  • Serratia marcescens

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