Abstract
l-arginine, an amino acid with a growing range of applications within the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food, and agricultural industries, can be produced by microbial fermentation. Although it is the most nitrogen-rich amino acid, reports on the nitrogen supply for its fermentation are scarce. In this study, the nitrogen supply for the production of l-arginine by a genetically modified Escherichia coli strain was optimised in bioreactors. Different nitrogen sources were screened and ammonia solution, ammonium sulphate, ammonium phosphate dibasic, and ammonium chloride were the most favourable nitrogen sources for l-arginine synthesis. The key role of the C/N ratio for l-arginine production was demonstrated for the first time. The optimal C/N molar ratio to maximise l-arginine production while minimising nitrogen waste was found to be 6, yielding approximately 2.25 g/L of l-arginine from 15 g/L glucose with a productivity of around 0.11 g/L/h. Glucose and ammonium ion were simultaneously utilized, showing that this ratio provided a well-balanced equilibrium between carbon and nitrogen metabolisms.
Highlights
L -arginine is a semi-essential amino acid commonly used in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic industries [1]
Glucose and ammonium ion were simultaneously utilized, showing that this ratio provided a well-balanced equilibrium between carbon and nitrogen metabolisms
Corynebacterium glutamicum and C. crenatum have been commonly used for the microbial production of L-arginine [3,4,5,6]
Summary
L -arginine is a semi-essential amino acid commonly used in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic industries [1]. It can be used as animal feed or fertilizer [2]. Environmental concerns prompt a sustainable use of raw materials that are widely available, renewable, and that do not compete with food production. One such feedstock is lignocellulosic biomass which mainly consists of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin [7]. Neither C. glutamicum nor C. crenatum strains naturally metabolize five-carbon sugars. Combined with its fast growth, its robustness and the availability of molecular tools for its genetic engineering, E. coli is a candidate for L-arginine production
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