Nutritional requirements for chloramphenicol biosynthesis in Streptomyces venezuelae

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Abstract
Cultures grown in a glycerol-serine-lactate medium were used to establish the inoculation procedure, aeration level and trace mineral nutrition optimizing chloramphenicol production in S. venezuelae. The stimulatory effect of lactate in this medium was not an artifact of medium preparation but was due to its influence on C source utilization. In media with (NH4)2SO4 as a nonrestricting N source, chloramphenicol production varied with the C source. Production occurred during the growth phase and was highest on galactose, lactose, cellobiose and starch. The synthesis rate was related to the growth rate and decreased in the stationary phase. Variation of the N source with glucose as a nonrestricting C source showed that the highest antibiotic titers were obtained with poorly utilized compounds such as isoleucine or phenylalanine. Proline gave yields comparable with those obtained in the more complex glycerol-serine-lactate medium in a shorter time. Although growth rate is not the sole determining parameter, chloramphenicol synthesis is a growth-linked process.