Sporulation of Streptomyces venezuelae in submerged cultures

Shaken cultures of Streptomyces venezuelae ISP5230 in minimal medium with galactose and ammonium sulphate as carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively, showed extensive sporulation after 72 h incubation at 37 degrees C. The spores formed in these cultures resembled aerial spores in their characteristics. The ability of the spores to withstand lysozyme treatment was used to monitor the progress of sporulation in cultures and to determine the physiological requirements for sporulation. In media containing ammonium sulphate as the nitrogen source, galactose was the best of six carbon sources tested. With galactose S. venezuelae ISP5230 sporulated when supplied with any of several nitrogen sources; however, an excess of nitrogen source was inhibitory. In cultures containing galactose and ammonium sulphate, sporulation was suppressed by a peptone supplement. The onset of sporulation was accompanied by a drop in intracellular GTP content. When decoyinine, an inhibitor of GMP synthase, was added to a medium containing starch and ammonium sulphate, a slight increase in sporulation was seen after 2 d. The suppression of sporulation by peptone in liquid or agar cultures was not reversed by addition of decoyinine. A hypersporulating mutant of S. venezuelae ISP5230 was altered in its ability to assimilate sugars. In cultures containing glucose the mutant sporulated more profusely than did the wild-type and did not acidify the medium to the same extent. However, the suppressive effect of glucose on sporulation was not merely a secondary result of acid accumulation.