Effect of aeration efficiency and carbon source on the production of anthracyclines in Streptomyces galilaeus.

Biosynthesis of anthracyclines in Streptomyces galilaeus during submerged cultivation is considerably influenced by aeration and by the concentration of glucose in the medium. At higher values of oxygen absorption rate both the production of epsilon-pyrromycinone glycosides in the wild strain JA 3043 and its production mutant G-167 and accumulation of free epsilon-pyrromycinone in the blocked mutant G-162 were found to be higher; the production of 7-deoxyaglycones was lower in all strains. The studied strains differed in the rate of glucose consumption and in the ability to utilize starch for the biosynthesis of anthracyclines. A two-fold concentration of glucose in the medium resulted in the G-162 strain in an increase of the yield of epsilon-pyrromycinone by 120%. The production of glycosides in strain G-167 increased even after exhaustion of glucose from the medium and the amount of 7-deoxyaglycones simultaneously decreased.