Effect of agitation on violacein production in Pseudoalteromonas luteoviolacea isolated from a marine sponge

Aims: Experiments were designed to investigate the effect of agitation on the production of violacein by a marine bacterium Pseudoalteromonas luteoviolacea. Methods and Results: A marine sponge-associated bacterium, P. luteoviolacea, was grown at different agitation speeds. Agitation did not have a significant effect on bacterial growth, but had a profound effect on the size of bacterial aggregate. The production of violacein was the highest under stagnant conditions and decreased with the increase of the agitation speed. Conclusions: Agitation affected the aggregation of bacterial cells, which, in turn, affected violacein production by P. luteoviolacea. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study suggests that P. luteoviolacea produced the highest amount of violacein when it was cultured under stagnant conditions.