Physiological aspects of l-lysine production : effect of nutritional limitations on a producing strain of Corynebacterium glutamicum

Abstract

The effect of nutritional limitations, such as phosphorus and carbon, on the production of L-lysine by Corynebacterium glutamicum was studied in continuous culture. We observed that phosphate-limited cultures at low growth rates were favourable to L-lysine production. L-Lysine was produced when a culture at low dilution rate (0.03 h-1) was established. A dilution rate of about 0.04 h-1 should be maintained in order to assure good productivity and an L-lysine yield of 0.53 g/g. Under carbon-limiting conditions the maintenance energy and growth yield of 0.03 g/g · g-1 · h-1 and 0.41 g/g, respectively, have been obtained. Under these limiting conditions the L-lysine production was not favoured even at lower dilution rates.