EFFECTS OF CULTURE CONDITIONS ON PROTEASE PRODUCTION BY STREPTOMYCES-CLAVULIGERUS GROWING ON SOY BEAN FLOUR MEDIUM

The influence of nitrogen and phosphate sources on the production of e xtracellular protease activity by Streptomyces clavuligerus has been i nvestigated. The experiments were carried out in batch fermentation us ing soy-bean flour as nitrogen source and potassium phosphate dibasic as phosphate source. High protease yield was obtained after 24 h of fe rmentation with an initial pH of 7.0. The maximal protease activity (1 12.68 and 88.72 U/mg) was obtained the phosphate concentration of the 21 and 29 mM for strains 3585 and 644, respectively. With regard to th e nitrogen concentration in both strains, the maximal protease activit y was achieved with 0.5% (154.89 U/mg and 228.36 U/mg for 3585 and 644 strains, respectively). Enzyme production appeared to be modulated by an inducer system where ammonia, complex nitrogen, and phosphate sour ces might have been involved.