Cephalosporin C production by Cephalosporium acremonium: the methionine story

Abstract

More than 40 years ago, it was reported that methionine markedly stimulated production of cephalosporin C by Cephalosporium acremonium. Over the years, many hypotheses were put forth to explain this phenomenon. The accumulating evidence strongly supported the concept that methionine stimulates by inducing enzymes of the biosynthetic pathway such as delta-(L-alpha-aminoadipyl)-L-cysteinyl-D-valine synthetase, isopenicillin N synthase, and deacetoxycephalosporin C synthase. This mechanism has been strengthened by the finding that transcription of the genes encoding the above enzymes is markedly enhanced by growth with methionine. An effect of methionine in the fermentation unrelated to the titer stimulation is its contribution of the sulfur atom to the cephalosporin molecule. Methionine also stimulates mycelial fragmentation; the relationship between this effect on hyphal differentiation and the induction of the cephalosporin synthases remains to be elucidated.