Summary
A system for the continuous cultivation of plant cells has been developed, based on a commercially available 3–1 turbine-stirred fermentor. A special device was constructed to provide for homogeneous effluent from the culture at low dilution rates. Two steady states with Catharanthus roseus cells growing under glucose limitation are described with respect to biomass yield on the carbon and energy source glucose, specific oxygen consumption, specific carbon dioxide production and (by)product formation. From a carbon balance for each steady state it is shown that the flow of carbon to the culture (as glucose) practically equalled the flow of carbon from the culture (as biomass, carbon dioxide and (by)product). Biomass yields on glucose were 0.31 g/g and 0.35 g/g at dilution rates of 0.0060 l/h and 0.0081 l/h respectively. The striking difference between the obtained yield coefficients and biomass yield commonly found for batch-cultured plant cells is discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Balague C, Wilson G (1982) Growth and alkaloid biosynthesis by cell suspensions of Catharanthus roseus in a chemostat under sucrose and phosphate limiting conditions. Physiol Veg 20:515–522
Bertola MA, Klis FM (1979) Continuous cultivation of glucose limited bean cells (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in a modified bacterial fermentor. J Exp Bot 30:1223–1231
Dalton CC (1984) The effect of sugar supply rate on photosynthetic development of Ocimum basilicum (sweet basil) cells in continuous culture. J Exp Bot 35:505–516
Dougall DK, LaBrake S, Whitten GH (1982) Plant cells grown in chemostats. In: Fujiwara A (ed) Plant tissue culture 1982, Proceedings of the 5th International Congress of Plant Tissue and Cell Culture. Marnzen Co, Tokyo, p 51
Herbert D (1958) Some principles of continuous culture. In: Tunevall G (ed) Recent progress in microbiology, vol 7. Almquist and Wilsell, Stockholm, p 381
King PJ (1977) Studies on the growth in culture of plant cells XXII. Growth limitation by nitrate and glucose in chemostat culture of Acer pseudoplatanus L. J Exp Bot 28:142–155
Kurz WGW (1971) A chemostat for growing higher plant cells in single cell suspension cultures. Exp Cell Res 64:476–479
Linsmaier EM, Skoog F (1965) Organic growth factor requirements of tobacco tissue cultures. Physiol Plant 18:100–127
Pareilleux A, Vinas R (1983) Influence of the aeration rate on the growth yield in suspension cultures of Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don. J Ferment Technol 61:429–433
Pirt SJ (1965) The maintenance energy of bacteria in growing cultures. Proc Roy Soc Lond (Biol)163:224–234
Sahai OP, Shuler ML (1982) On the non-ideality of chemostat operation using plant cell suspension cultures. Can J Bot 60:692–700
Sahai OP, Shuler ML (1984) Multistage continuous culture to examine secondary metabolite formation in plant cells: phenolics from Nicotiana tabacum. Biotechnol Bioeng 16:27–36
Wilson G (1976) A simple and inexpensive design of chemostat enabling steady-state growth of Acer pseudoplatanus L. cells under phosphate-limiting conditions. Ann Bot 40:919–932
Wilson G, Marron P (1978) Growth and anthraquinone biosynthesis by Galium mollugo cells in batch and chemostat culture. J Exp Bot 29:837–851
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
van Gulik, W.M., Meijer, J.J., ten Hoopen, H.J.G. et al. Growth of a Catharanthus roseus cell suspension culture in a modified chemostat under glucose-limiting conditions. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 30, 270–275 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00256217
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00256217