The Effect of Co-Culture on Production of Blue Pigment by Streptomyces coelicolor M145 with Bacillus subtilis as Auxiliary

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of co-culture on production of blue pigment by Streptomyces coelicolor M145 with Bacillus subtilis as auxiliary. Preliminarily B. subtilis was found to have positive effect to increase the blue pigment. Then two B. subtilis (AS1.398 and WB600) were used to evaluate the amount and time of inoculation. The results demonstrated when 1 % of the B. subtilis AS1.398 or WB600 that the concentration was about 1 9 10 10 cells/mL was added after 48 h' fermentation of the S. coelicolor, the yield of blue pigment can increase about 30-40 % than single culture. Further, research was going on to try to find the substances that stimulate blue pigment. It could be approximately proved that these substances should be in cells of B. subtilis, and might be heat stable due to a similar result between live and heatkilled cells.