Influences of Cultural Medium Component on the Production of Poly($\gamma$-glutamic acid) by Bacillus sp. RKY3

In this study, the cultural medium used for the efficient production of $\gamma$-PGA with a newly isolated Bacillus sp. RKY3 was optimized. It was necessary to supplement the culture medium with L-glutamic acid and an additional carbon source in order to induce the effective production of $\gamma$-PGA. The amount of $\gamma$-PGA increased with the addition of L-glutamic acid to the medium. The addition of 90 g/L L-glutamic acid to the medium resulted in the maximal yield of $\gamma$-PGA (83.2 g/L). The optimum nitrogen source was determined to be peptone, but corn steep liquor, a cheap nutrient, was also found to be effective for $\gamma$-PGA production. Both the $\gamma$-PGA production and cell growth increased rapidly with the addition of small amounts of $K_2HPO_4$ and $MgSO_4\cdot7H_{2}O$. Bacillus sp. RKY3 appears to require $Mg^{2+}$, rather than $Mn^{2+}$, for $\gamma$-PGA production, which is distinct from the production protocols associated with other, previously reported bacteria. Bacillus sp. RKY3 may also have contributed some minor $\gamma$-PGA depolymerase activity, resulting in the reduction of the molecular weight of the produced $\gamma$-PGA at the end of fermentation.