Production of DagA, a β-Agarase, by Streptomyces lividans in Glucose Medium or Mixed-Sugar Medium Simulating Microalgae Hydrolysate

DagA, a beta-agarase, was produced by cultivating a recombinant Streptomyces lividans in a glucose medium or a mixed-sugar medium simulating microalgae hydrolysate. The optimum composition of the glucose medium was identified as 25 g/1 glucose, 10 g/1 yeast extract, and 5 g/1 MgCl2.6H(2)O. With this, a DagA activity of 7.26 U/ml could be obtained. When a mixed-sugar medium containing 25 g/1 of sugars was used, a DagA activity of 4.81 U/ml was obtained with very low substrate utilization efficiency owing to the catabolic repression of glucose against the other sugars. When glucose and galactose were removed from the medium, an unexpectedly high DagA activity of about 8.7 U/ml was obtained, even though a smaller amount of sugars was used. It is recommended for better substrate utilization and process economics that glucose and galactose be eliminated from the medium, by being consumed by some other useful applications, before the production of DagA.