Tetracycline production by Streptomyces aureofaciens: the time lag of production

The exact time course of phosphate consumption is a tetracycline production by Streptomyces aureofaciens has been determined. The data have been compared with model simulations according to a model proposed by Votruba et al. This led to a revision of his equation for the rate of phosphate consumption and to the proposal that phosphate is consumed proportionally to the growth rate. In contradiction to the model simulations it was found that the length of the time lag of the production is independent of the initial phosphate concentration. While the model explains the time lag through inhibition of the production by phosphate, the measured data show that there must be another or an additional reason for the lag.