The Respiration of Streptomyces griseus

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Abstract
Several strains of S. griseus were grown in flasks containing a modified strepto-thrycin assay medium. Assays for streptomycin were made by the method of Loo et al (1945), and growth was based upon the dry weight of washed and centrifuged mycelium. O2 consumption was detd. in a Warburg apparatus, by the technics of Umbreit, Burris, and Stauffer (1945). The weight of the mycelium increased up to 36 hrs. after the flasks were inoc, then steadily declined. During early growth, respiration was at its highest level. Both total O2 consumption and O2 consumption per unit weight of mycelium decreased during the period when the total amt. of S. griseus in the culture was increasing; this O2 decrease continued into the decline phase when the total weight of fungus was steadily reduced. Streptomycin was produced by 12-24 hrs. of growth and reached a maximum between 48 to 60 hrs. Two factors were involved in the change in O2 consumption of S. griseus. One was the. very high rate of respiration of the young mycelium. The other was the amt. of dextrose removed from the soln. by the growing culture. This was very rapid in young cultures. Both the age of the culture and the dextrose conc. were involved in the respiration fluctuations in shake culture. The ability of different strains to produce streptomycin could not be correlated with their rates of respiration. There is no relationship between O2 consumption and streptomycin production either at various stages in the culture or between strains of different synthetic capacities.
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