Effect of growth rate on the production ofl-proline in the fed-batch culture ofCorynebacterium acetoacidophilum

Corynebacterium acetoacidophilum RYU3161 was cultivated in al-histidine-limited fed-batch culture. To investigate the effect of cell growth on thel-proline production, 5l fed-batch culture was performed using an exponential feeding rate to obtain the specific growth rates (μ) of 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, and 0.1 h−1. The results show that the highest production ofl-proline was obtained at μ=0.04 h−1. The specificl-proline production rate (Qp) increased proportionally as a function of the specific growth rate, but decreased after it revealed the maximum value at μ=0.08 h−1. Thus, the highest productivity ofl-proline was 1.66 g L−1 h−1 at μ=0.08 h−1. The results show that the production of L-proline inC. acetoacidophilum RYU3161 has mixed growth-associated characteristics.