Impeller types and feeding modes influence the morphology and protein expression in the submerged culture of Aspergillus oryzae

Abstract

The influences of impeller types on morphology and protein expression were investigated in a submerged culture of Aspergillus oryzae. The impeller types strongly affected mycelial morphology and protein production in batch and fed-batch fermentations. Cells that were cultured by propeller agitation grew in the form of a pellet, whereas cells that were cultured by turbine agitation grew in a freely dispersed-hyphal manner and in a clumped form. Pellet-grown cells showed high levels of protein production for both the intracellularly heterologous protein (β-glucuronidase) and the extracellularly homologous protein (α-amylase). The feeding mode of the carbon source also influenced the morphological distribution and protein expression in fed-batch fermentation of A. oryzae. Pulsed-feeding mainly showed high protein expression and homogeneous distribution of pellet whereas continuous feeding resulted in less protein expression and heterogeneous distribution with pellet and dispersed-hyphae. The pellet growth with propeller agitation paralleling with the pulsed-feeding of carbon source showed a high level of protein production in the submerged fed-batch fermentation of recombinant A. oryzae.