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Effects of Nutrients on the Growth of and Free Exopolysaccharide Biosynthesis by Streptococcus thermophilus 937 in a Chemically Defined Medium

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Abstract

The free exopolysaccharide (f-EPS) produced by Streptococcus thermophilus is a natural texture modifier with health-promoting properties and has thus become one of the most interesting metabolites for researchers. The present work aimed to further understand the nutritional requirements for the growth of and the f-EPS production by S. thermophilus. The types and concentrations of compounds in the complete chemically defined medium were changed in turn to evaluate the effects of single nutrients on the growth of and f-EPS production by S. thermophilus 937. The results showed that cysteine, glutamine, histidine, methionine, tryptophan, tyrosine, leucine, isoleucine, and valine played an important role in maintaining the rapid and stable growth of S. thermophilus 937. S. thermophilus 937 also required calcium pantothenate, niacin, pyridoxine, riboflavin, and thiamine hydrochloride as essential nutrients for growth. Increases in the concentrations of lactose, glutamate, histidine, or isoleucine significantly increased the production of free exopolysaccharide by S. thermophilus 937, and when the lactose concentration increased to 20 g·L−1 and the concentration of the three-amino-acid combination increased to 15 mM, the f-EPS yield increased to a maximum of 35.34 μg·mL−1. This finding indicated that lactose and the 3 amino acids exert synergistic effects on the promotion of f-EPS production. In addition, lactose and the three amino acids have strain specific promoting effects on f-EPS production by S. thermophilus. This study provides a further understanding of the effects of nutrients on the biosynthesis of f-EPS by S. thermophilus.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge Prof. Wenqiong Wang (Yangzhou University) for her suggestions on the results and lively discussions.

Funding

This work was funded by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31972094) and City-school Cooperation to Build a Scientific and Technological Innovation Platform (No. YZ2020265). National Natural Science Foundation of China, 31972094, Ruixia Gu, City-school Cooperation to Build a Scientific and Technological Innovation Platform, YZ2020265, Ruixia Gu

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Lab of Dairy Biotechnology and Safety Control, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225127, Jiangsu Province, China

    Yunchao Wa, Xia Zhao, Kuiyao Peng, Hengxian Qu, Dawei Chen, Chenchen Zhang, Xia Chen & Ruixia Gu

  2. College of Food Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225127, Jiangsu Province, China

    Yunchao Wa, Xia Zhao, Kuiyao Peng, Hengxian Qu, Dawei Chen, Chenchen Zhang, Xia Chen & Ruixia Gu

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  1. Yunchao Wa
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  2. Xia Zhao
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Contributions

YW and CZ participated in the design of this study. The experiment was completed by Kuiyao Peng, who was assisted by YW. HQ, DC, and XC conducted the study and collected important background information. YW drafted the manuscript. All the authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Ruixia Gu.

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Wa, Y., Zhao, X., Peng, K. et al. Effects of Nutrients on the Growth of and Free Exopolysaccharide Biosynthesis by Streptococcus thermophilus 937 in a Chemically Defined Medium. Curr Microbiol 80, 331 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-023-03421-x

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