Physiological factors affecting streptomycin production by Streptomyces griseus ATCC 12475 in batch and continuous culture.

Conditions of growth are described for the production of streptomycin by Streptomyces griseus ATCC 12475 using chemically defined minimal medium and complex medium. It was found using batch cultures that early synthesis of the antibiotic occurred during growth in minimal medium but was delayed until the onset of stationary phase in complex medium. This effect was independent of whether spores or vegetative cells were used as inoculum. Stability of streptomycin biosynthesis in continuous culture was dependent on dilution rate and medium employed. Cultures were highly unstable when grown on complex medium but could be maintained in steady states in continuous culture using minimal medium when the dilution rate was increased in a stepwise manner, starting at a dilution rate of 0.02 h-1 (15% of mumax). The effect of changing dilution rate on growth, streptomycin production and the level of streptomycin phosphotransferase was examined using this technique.