Development of a defined medium and two-step culturing method for improved exotoxin A yields from Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

A two-step method is described for the production of exotoxin A by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in which a defined growth medium is modified for the toxin production phase. As a result, specific exotoxin A yields comparable to those obtained with complex media were achieved. In the development of this two-step process, several divalent metallic cations (Ca2+, Cu2+, and Mn2+), in addition to iron, were found to inhibit the yield of exotoxin A while Ca2+ and glycerol were found to increase yields. Northern blot analysis of total RNA isolates suggests that these effects on exotoxin A yields are based on events at the transcription level.