Effect of external pH on yield, morphology and cell components ofCandida utilis growing in continuous culture

Abstract

The physiological state ofCandida utilis growing in continuous culture was controlled by external pH and dilution rate. The pH of the medium influences the physiological mechanisms coupled with the maintenance of living functions. The consumption of nitrogen source for biomass formation is a linear function of growth rate, independent of external pH. The statistical distribution of cell volumes was identified as log-normal where the dispersion is indirectly proportional to the maintenance coefficient and the mean of the logarithm of cell volume is a linear combination of specific growth rate and maintenance coefficient. The content of RNA, protein, glucan and mannan in dry biomass may also be expressed as a simple function of specific growth rate and maintenance coefficient.