Enhanced gibberellic acid production in Fusarium fujikuroi through ARTP-EMS mutagenesis and fermentation optimization
摘要
Gibberellic acid (GA3) is an important plant growth regulator with rising agricultural demand, yet its industrial production via submerged fermentation using Fusarium fujikuroi remains limited by low space-time yield. In this study, a high-yield mutant was generated through atmospheric and room-temperature plasma (ARTP) and ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) mutagenesis, coupled with lovastatin-based screening. Process optimization, including early nitrogen supplementation, late-stage pH control, and a two-stage temperature-agitation strategy, further enhanced GA3 synthesis. The mutant (strain 9) achieved a GA3 titer of 2.483 g/L in a 5-L bioreactor, a 33.38% increase over the parent strain. Additionally, solid-state fermentation using wheat bran as substrate and 60% (w/w) initial moisture yielded 6.5 g/kg dry substrate. These results demonstrate an effective approach for strain improvement and fermentation optimization, providing a foundation for industrial-scale GA3 production by F. fujikuroi.