Summary
The stability of penicillin G during production is reviewed and compared to reports on end-product regulation of penicillin biosynthesis. From this analysis, it appears that penicillin control of its own synthesis when added exogenously at the beginning of the process has not been proven, since the apparent decrease of net accumulation can be explained by gradual hydrolysis of the added penicillin. It is also concluded that the maximum amount of penicillin accumulated normally is not controlled by penicillin, but rather by its stability and the ability of the cells to maintain a high synthetic rate over extended time periods.
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References
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Nestaas E (1980) Quantitative characterization of mycelial biomass and morphology using the filtration probe in the penicillin fermentation. Ph.D. Dissertation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
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Nestaas, E., Demain, A.L. Influence of penicillin instability on interpretation of feedback regulation experiments. European J. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 12, 170–172 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01008338
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01008338