EFFECT OF HYDROMECHANICAL FORCES ON THE PRODUCTION OF FILAMENTOUS HEMAGGLUTININ AND PERTUSSIS TOXIN OF BORDETELLA-PERTUSSIS

The production of Bordetella pertussis extracytoplasmic filamentous ha emagglutinin (FHA) and pertussis toxin (PT) in a bioreactor under stir ring conditions was studied in order to investigate the effect of hydr omechanical forces on yields of both antigens. It was shown that FHA l oses its haemagglutinin activity can when the power transmitted by the agitator and the aerator per unit volume increases, whereas PT produc tion is not affected. The loss of FHA activity can be explained by the action of shear forces on the filamentous structure of this antigen.