Utilization of glycerol as cysteine and carbon sources for cephalosporin C production by Acremonium chrysogenum M35 in methionine-unsupplemented culture

In this study, the role of glycerol in cephalosporin C production was evaluated in Acremonium chrysogenum M35. Methionine-unsupplemented culture with glycerol stimulated cephalosporin C production in A. chrysogenum M35 by up to 10-fold while increasing the amount of cysteine. Glycerol caused the upregulation of isopenicillin N-CoA epimerase (cefD2) and δ-(l-α-aminoadipyl)-l-cysteinyl-d-valine synthase (pcbAB) transcription in exponential phase. These results indicate that glycerol without methionine effectively enhanced cephalosporin C production via stimulation of cysteine and valine in A. chrysogemun M35.