title: Effect of medium composition on the production of tetanus toxin by Clostridium tetani.
abstract: The tetanus toxin is a neurotoxin synthesized by the bacillus Clostridium tetani that, after detoxification with formaldehyde, still exhibits antigenic and immunologic properties, hence its denomination of tetanus toxoid. Such a neurotoxin is produced by cultivation of the microorganism in vegetative form on a relatively complex specific medium containing glucose and peptone. The simultaneous effects of the starting levels of glucose (G0) and N-Z Case TT (NZ0) as carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively, on the production of tetanus toxin have been investigated in this work in static cultivations by means of a five-level star-shaped experimental design and evaluated by response surface methodology (RSM) for optimization purposes. The highest final average yield of tetanus toxin (72 Lf/mL), achieved at G0= 9.7 g/L and NZ0= 43.5 g/L, was 80% higher than that obtained with standard cultivations (G0= 8.0 g/L and NZ0= 25.0 g/L).
authors.affiliation: Division of Technology and Production Development of Institute Butantan, Av. Vital Brazil, 1500, 05504-900 São Paulo-SP, Brazil. fratelli@butantan.gov.br
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fratelli
authors.forename: Tatiana Joly
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Siquini
authors.forename: Sally Müller Affonso
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Prado
authors.forename: Hisako Gondo
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Higashi
authors.forename: Attilio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Converti
authors.forename: João Carlos Monteiro
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: de Carvalho
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D003017:Clostridium tetani / Q000378:metabolism*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003470:Culture Media / Q000378:metabolism; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D013744:Tetanus Toxin / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D013744:Tetanus Toxin; D005947:Glucose; D009584:Nitrogen