Spiramycin production by Streptomyces ambofaciens is controlled by the nitrogen source present in the culture medium. Thus, amino acids according to the mode of catabolism (transamination or deamination) influenced the spiramycin production differently. Arginine, whose catabolism led to an important excretion of ammonium, gave a slight spiramycin production of 5.3 mg. g(-1) dry cell weight; however, the introduction of an ammonium trapping agent [0.25% Mg-3(PO4)(2)] enhanced spiramycin production by 415%. The use of a neutral culture medium showed the existence of a critical phase during which the ammonium pulse had maximum negative effects on spiramycin production. Among these negative effects, the ammonium pulse provoked an increase in the growth rate, which was partially responsible for the decrease of the spiramycin production. The inhibitory effects of ammonium on spiramycin production were mitigated when the growth rate was controlled by the phosphate concentration. In addition, protease activities were limited on a culture medium in which ammonium was present and spiramycin production was null, whereas on lysine, where spiramycin production was favored, protease activities were higher.