Induction of axenic culture of Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis based on antibiotic sensitivity of contaminating bacteria.

Arthrospira platensis SAG 21.99 and the isolated bacteria (Halomonas spp., Staphylococcus sp., etc.) from the culture of A. platensis SAG 21.99 were treated with five antibiotics to determine the minimal lethal concentrations. The combination of a washing step and a consecutive treatment with antibiotics, imipenem (100 microg ml(-1)), neomycin (100 microg ml(-1)) and cycloheximide (20 microg ml(-1)), treatment step was highly effective in eliminating bacteria. An axenic culture of A. platensis SAG 21.99 could be induced within 3 days using this method. This technique is a simple and rapid method for obtaining axenic cultures of filamentous cyanobacteria.

Enhanced biomass and gamma-linolenic acid production of mutant strain Arthrospira platensis.

A mutant of Arthrospira platensis PCC 9108, strain M9108, obtained by mutagenesis with UV treatment, was able to mixotrophically grow in an SOT medium containing 40 g of glucose/l. The biomass and specific growth rate of strain M9108 (4.10 g/l and 0.70/d) were 1.9-fold and 1.4-fold higher, respectively, than those of the wild type (2.21 g/l and 0.58/d) under mixotrophic culture condition. In addition, when compared with the wild type, the content of gamma- linolenic acid (GLA) in the mutant was increased when glucose concentration was increased. Compared with the wild type, the GLA content of the mutant was 2-fold higher in autotrophic culture and about 3-fold higher in mixotrophic culture. Thus, the mutant appears to possess more efficient facility to assimilate and metabolize glucose and to produce more GLA than its wild-type strain.