Actinomycetes, a class of filamentous bacteria, are an important source of several industrially relevant secondary metabolites. Several environmental factors including the media composition affect both biomass growth and product formation. Likewise, several studies have shown that environmental factors cause changes in cellular morphology. However, the relationship between morphology and product formation is not well understood. In this study, we first characterized the effect of varying concentrations of phosphate and ammonia in defined media on pellet morphology for an actinomycete Amycolatopsis balhimycina DSM 5908, which produces balhimycin, a glycopeptide antibiotic. Our results show that higher balhimycin productivity is correlated with the following morphological features: (1) higher pellet fraction in the biomass, (2) small elongated pellets, and (3) shorter filaments in hyphal growth in the periphery of the pellets. The correlation between morphology and product formation was also observed in industrially relevant complex media. Although balhimycin production starts after 72 h with maximum production around 168 h, the morphological changes in pellets are observed as early as 24 h after commencing of the batch. Therefore, morphology may be used as an early predictor of the end-of-batch productivity. We argue that a similar strategy can be developed for other strains where morphological indicators may be used as a batch monitoring tool.

antibiotic production, mycelia, submerged cultivation, substrate consumption, balhimycin

Publication DOI: 10.1007/s10295-011-0995-7
Journal NLM ID: 9705544
Correspondence: srjadhavche.iitb.ac.in
Institutions: Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India, Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
Methods: biological assays, HPLC, extraction, cell growth, centrifugation
 

• Compound ID: 13468
  

  b-D-Glcp-(1-1)-Subst-(2-1)-a-D-Sugp Subst = balhimycin aglycon = SMILES CN[C@H](CC(C)C)C(=O)N[C@H]6C(=O)N[C@@H](CC(N)=O)C(=O)N[C@@H]4C(=O)N[C@H]2C(=O)N[C@H](C(=O)N[C@H](C(=O)O)c1cc(O)cc(O)c1c3cc2ccc3O){2}[C@H:1](O)c8ccc(Oc7cc4cc(Oc5ccc(cc5Cl)[C@H]6O){1}c7O)c(Cl)c8; Sug = 3-amino-2,3,6-trideoxy-3-C-methyl-L-lyxo-hexos-4-ulose (dehydrovancosamine) = SMILES C[C@@H]1O{1}[C@@H](O)C[C@](C)(N)C1=O

  Show graphically

  Show legend Show as text

  Structure type: oligomer
  Trivial name: balhimycin
  Compound class: glycoside
  Reference(s) to other database(s): GTC:G34375YG
  
   
  
  Amycolatopsis balhimycina DSM 5908
  CSDB ID 45808 (all data & tools)

A new glycopeptide antibiotic, balhimycin, has been isolated from the fermentation broth of a Amycolatopsis sp. Y-86,21022. Balhimycin belongs to the vancomycin class of glycopeptides and contains a dehydrovancosamine sugar. The biological activity of balhimycin has been compared extensively with that of vancomycin against methicillin resistant staphylococci and also against anaerobes. Balhimycin is marginally superior to vancomycin in its in vitro activity against anaerobes and in its bactericidal properties.

glycopeptide, antibiotic, balhimycin, Amycolatopsis sp.

• Compound ID: 13468
  

  b-D-Glcp-(1-1)-Subst-(2-1)-a-D-Sugp Subst = balhimycin aglycon = SMILES CN[C@H](CC(C)C)C(=O)N[C@H]6C(=O)N[C@@H](CC(N)=O)C(=O)N[C@@H]4C(=O)N[C@H]2C(=O)N[C@H](C(=O)N[C@H](C(=O)O)c1cc(O)cc(O)c1c3cc2ccc3O){2}[C@H:1](O)c8ccc(Oc7cc4cc(Oc5ccc(cc5Cl)[C@H]6O){1}c7O)c(Cl)c8; Sug = 3-amino-2,3,6-trideoxy-3-C-methyl-L-lyxo-hexos-4-ulose (dehydrovancosamine) = SMILES C[C@@H]1O{1}[C@@H](O)C[C@](C)(N)C1=O

  Show graphically

  Show legend Show as text

  Structure type: oligomer
  Trivial name: balhimycin
  Compound class: glycoside
  Reference(s) to other database(s): GTC:G34375YG
  
   
  
  Amycolatopsis sp. Y-86,21022 DSM 5908
  CSDB ID 46019 (all data & tools)