Improvement of the productivity of elasnin, a specific elastase inhibitor, by streptomyces noboritoensis Km-2753

Abstract

Streptomyces noboritoensis KM-2753, an elasnin-producing strain, co-produces an antimycin complex and its elasnin productivity is low (0.006 mg/ml). To obtain mutants possessing higher degrees of elasnin productivity and deficient in antimycin production, the strain was treated with N-methyl-N‘-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (NTG), ultraviolet light, acriflavine (AF) and high temperature. Mutant N-134 obtained by treatment with NTG was 108 times higher than the original strain in elasnin productivity and produced no antimycin. Strain AF-17 obtained by AF treatment and strain H-80 obtained by incubation at high temperature showed 715 and 428 times higher productivities than that of the original strain, respectively. The productivity of elasnin was further increased 1.6~2.6 times by addition of saturated fatty acids, especially lauric acid, to the culture. Consequently, strain AF-17 produced 11.1 mg/ml of elasnin in the presence of 10 μg/ml of lauric acid. © 1980, JAPAN ANTIBIOTICS RESEARCH ASSOCIATION. All rights reserved.