Growth and metabolism of Penicillium lilacinum Thom. with reference to the effects of riboflavin and nicotinic acid

Summary Growth and metabolism of Penicillium lilacinum were followed over a period of incubation of 18 days on a high sugar-salts medium favourable for fat formation with or without the addition of riboflavin or nicotinic acid to the growth medium. The high sugar content in the culture media helped rapid uptake and vigorous growth. Nicotinic acid and to a less extent riboflavin, enhanced sugar and nitrogen absorption and the rate of building up of cellular material in consequence. Nitrogenous compounds have been released from the mycelial cells into the external media before growth started to decline; the release being earlier and more rapid in the presence of nicotinic acid. It is suggested that the release of nitrogenous compounds in this case is not purely due to autolysis, and that nicotinic acid affected this process by increasing cell permeability. Both riboflavin and nicotinic acid accelerated the accumulation of carbohydrates and fat in the mycelium. Fat formation became active only when the nitrogen content of the culture media dropped to a very low value and the building of nitrogenous compounds almost stopped. The inverse relationship between synthesis of fat and of complicated nitrogenous compounds was quite clear under the present experimental conditions and was not affected by either riboflavin or nicotinic acid.     

On mycological fat production from iraqi date extract: The dibis

Three strong fat-forming fungi, namely,Penicillium lilacinum, Penicillium soppi andAspergillus nidulans were grown on Iraqi date extract: the dibis supplemented with an external source of nitrogen in the form of asparagine, ammonium carbonate, or sodium nitrate. Penicillium lilacinum was the slowest in growth and fat formation, but later it exceeded the two other fungi. Media supplemented with ammonium carbonate were the least conducive to growth and fat formation. Asparagine was most favorable for fat formation in case ofPenicillium lilacinum, sodium nitrate in case ofAspergillusn idulans, but in case ofPenicillium soppi, the two sources were equally good.The use of different levels of nitrogen has shown that in case ofPenicillium lilacinum increase in nitrogen within the experimental limits was accompanied by an increase in fat yield. In case ofPenicillium soppi andAspergillus nidulans, the fat yield increased with decrease of nitrate nitrogen (increase in C:N ratio), but with asparagine, the medium concentration gave the heaviest yield.The highest fat percentages or fat coefficients did not, however, coincide with the highest total fat yield nor with the complete exhaustion of the sugar content. It is concluded that addition of nitrogen at the proper concentration to dibis media can bring up growth and fat formation to a reasonable level. But, still, dibis as substrate for fat formation seems to be yet inferior to synthetic media favourable for fat formation.     

一种高效研究大豆根瘤共生固氮的营养液栽培体系

为建立一种既可高效结瘤固氮, 又具有一定产量的大豆(Glycine max)营养液栽培系统, 设计并进行了2个试验。首先在不同供氮条件下, 研究了接种根瘤菌对大豆的结瘤状况、固氮能力、生物量及产量的影响。结果表明, 供氮过高或过低, 均影响大豆生长、产量形成及根瘤固氮; 并且植物生长所需的最适供氮水平远高于生物固氮所需的最适供氮水平。此外, 大豆生物固氮活性最高的时期在生殖期第一期(R1期)之前。由此推断, 大豆R1期前, 供应较低的氮, 有利于根瘤形成及固氮; 而从R1期起, 应提高供氮水平, 以促进植物生长及产量的形成。在此基础上开展第2个试验, 对供氮条件进行了优化处理(即R1期前低氮供应、R1期开始中氮供应)。结果表明, 与持续供应高氮相比, 优化供氮处理不仅可获得较多固氮酶活性较高的大根瘤, 还能保持较好的生长、获得更高的百粒重及维持80%左右的产量。研究结果不仅可为高效研究大豆根瘤共生固氮提供营养液配方, 还可为大豆高产高效栽培提供试验依据。     

Fat synthesis from supplemented beet molasses by penicillium soppi zaleski in still and shaken cultures

Media composed of molasses alone did not support good growth nor high fat formation even when used at high concentrations. Peptone supplement as an external source of nitrogen accelerated both growth and fat formation in still as well as in shake cultures. But shaking mankedly suppressed growth and fat formation in media of molasses alone or molasses and peptone.Addition of corn steep liquor (CSL) to molasses gave rise in still cultures to rapid growth that was further accelerated by shaking. Effect of CSL supplement on fat formation, as measured by fat percentage in dry mycelium, was suppressive in still cultures. In shaken cultures, fat formation was promoted by the lowest concentration only. With higher concentrations of CSL, fat content increased but fat percentage in mycelium decreased.     

Nitrogen Stress in Birch Seedlings

An account is given of experiments with birch (Betula verrucosa Ehrh.), in which experiments there was optimum availability of all other nutrients, while nitrogen was added in amounts corresponding to optimum as well as various non-optimum consumption rates. At the beginning of the growth period the nitrogen concentration in the nutrient solutions was very low or zero in the sub optimum treatments. In the optimum and supra–optimum treatments the nitrogen concentration in the solution was varied up to high levels. The nutrient solutions were not changed but the nutrients taken up were replaced by frequent additions. The sub-optimum nitrogen additions were carried out every second hour in amounts increasing exponentially day by day, and with a varied exponent. During a lag phase the seedlings in the sub optimum treatments had rapidly diminishing growth rates, deficiency symptoms, and a relatively high root growth rate with formation of long, thin roots. When the growth rate later on had stabilized, a period was recognized during which measurements and sampling were carried out. At the end of the lag phase, or in the beginning of the experimental period, the nitrogen deficiency symptoms of the leaves disappeared and the various parts of the seedlings grew with the same rate, and in a good linear correlation with the rate of nitrogen supply. The results indicate that nitrogen primarily influences the leaf area growth rate, which responds rapidly to a change in nitrogen availability. The following general growth response demonstrates the ability of the plants to adapt growth according to nitrogen supply, so as to create stable internal physiological conditions. Thus, there is a close agreement between the rate of nitrogen supply and consumption on one hand and growth rate on the other. The characteristic nitrogen deficiency symptoms of the seedlings during the lag phase are very similar to those reported in the literature. During the stable period that follows, they disappear from the leaves in agreement with the fact that natural vegetation generally is green also when nitrogen is strongly growth limiting. It is concluded that the exponentially increasing amounts of nitrogen added to lie nutrient solution, also when the exponent is far below optimum, makes nitrogen available to the seedlings in a similar way as does the exponentially growing root system in. a solid medium. Birch seedlings are able to adapt growth rate to low nitrogen supply and thereby show a healthy appearance without acute deficiency symptoms. Some ecological and practical implications are discussed.     

The effect of lactate addition on the growth of Penicillium camembertii on glutamate

The effect of an additional carbon source, lactate, on Penicillium camembertii growth on glutamate as both carbon and nitrogen sources was examined. Glutamate (and lactate) was present in excess in both media. Throughout the whole culture, similar growth time-courses were recorded on both media, indicating the absence of a lactate effect on growth. During the first part of growth, corresponding to an increasing amount of viable biomass, the rate of glutamate consumption remained high, as well as the related ammonium production, indicating its use as a carbon source in addition to being nitrogen source. The low growth rates recorded during the last part of growth resulted in low glutamate consumption, while lactate consumption continued mainly by a maintenance mechanism for the energy supply. A clear differentiation appeared therefore between the carbon source and the energy source: glutamate was mainly used as C source (and N source) for biosynthesis, while lactate was mainly assimilated for energy supply. Carbon and nitrogen yield examinations confirmed this result. Indeed, the C/N ratio found for P. camembertii cellular material (8.14) was about twice that of glutamate (4.29). From this, about half of the available nitrogen was used for biomass formation during growth on glutamate-lactate based medium, as experimentally confirmed (constant yield nitrogen from biomass on nitrogen from glutamate was found (0.49), while the excess nitrogen was released as ammonium). The constant and close to unit (0.99) yield carbon from CO2 on carbon from lactate, also recorded during growth on glutamate-lactate based medium, confirmed that lactate was mainly used as an energy source.     

Influence of time and level of nitrogen application of growth and yield of rice

Summary Results of a greenhouse sand-culture experiment conducted to study the effect of increasing or decreasing nitrogen supply at various stages of growth on the growth, yield, and yield components of rice are reported. Adequate nitrogen during the vegetative phase of growth encouraged tillering which had a bearing on the number of panicles per plant. Excess nitrogen during the reproductive phase of growth produced panicles with unfilled or partly filled grains. Similar effects were observed when the nitrogen status of the growth medium was changed from a low to a high level at the stages of reduction division and anthesis. Decrease in yield was observed when plants growing at a low level of nitrogen were transferred to a high level at the end of the vegetative phase. High levels of nitrogen in the growth medium at time of heading and after increased the concentration of nitrogen in the grain. There was an inverse relationship between yield of filled grain and nitrogen in the grain.     

Effect of sugars, hydrogen ion concentration and ammonium nitrate on the formation of citric acid by Aspergillus niger.

Aspergillus niger Mulder strain when grown on a synthetic medium containing urea as the sole source of nitrogen at pH 5.2, formed a mixture of citric and gluconic acids. On growing the organism at pH 2.0 the gluconic acid content was reduced but citric acid yield remained low. Addition of NH4NO3 to the medium lowered the gluconic acid yields to undetectable levels with a simultaneous increase in the citric acid content. Of the sugars used for the production of citric acid, sucrose in an unautoclaved medium was found to be the best carbon source. Sucrose medium if autoclaved at pH 2.0, or a mixture of glucose and fructose instead of sucrose gave lower yields of citric acid. Under optimum conditions only citric acid was produced and the yield was 66-68 per litre after a growth period of about 10 days.     

Studies on Osmophilic Yeasts

Various conditions were studied which gave influences on polyalcohol production by Pichia miso. Pichia miso gave an excellent yield of polyalcohol showing good growth in the vitamin-free medium. Unlike Zygosaccharomyces high concentrations of phosphate such as 2% as KH₂PO₄ in the medium showed no detrimental effect on polyalcohol production. Remarkable reduction in polyalcohol yield was observed in the medium of high concentration of nitrogen sources, among which yeast extract showed the most striking effect. Polyalcohol fermentation was provoked in the medium of 0.1% yeast extract while the metabolic activity distinctly converted to ethanol fermentation when the organisms were incubated in the medium of 4.0% yeast extract. The fact that a large amount of ethanol more than 6% in the medium was produced aerobically by genus Pichia of oxidative dissimilation type seemed to be very interesting and noticeable. For the purpose of industrial production, it was shown that polyalcohol production in jar-fermenter scale was achieved with as good yield as that in shaking flask culture.     

Growth and reproduction of Arabidopsis thaliana in relation to storage of starch and nitrate in the wild-type and in starch-deficient and nitrate-uptake-deficient mutants

We have investigated the interactions between resource assimilation and storage in rosette leaves, and their impact on the growth and reproduction of the annual species Arabidopsis thaliana. The resource balance was experimentally perturbed by changing (i) the external nutrition, by varying the nitrogen supply; (ii) the assimilation and reallocation of resources from rosette leaves to reproductive organs, by cutting or covering rosette leaves at the time of early flower bud formation, and (iii) the internal carbon and nitrogen balance of the plants, by using isogenic mutants either lacking starch formation (PGM mutant) or with reduced nitrate uptake (NU mutant). When plants were grown on high nitrogen, they had higher concentrations of carbohydrates and nitrate in their leaves during the rosette phase than during flowering. However, these storage pools did not significantly contribute to the bulk flow of resources to seeds. The pool size of stored resources in rosette leaves at the onset of seed filling was very low compared to the total amount of carbon and nitrogen needed for seed formation. Instead, the rosette leaves had an important function in the continued assimilation of resources during seed ripening, as shown by the low seed yield of plants whose leaves were covered or cut off. When a key resource became limiting, such as nitrogen in the NU mutants and in plants grown on a low nitrogen supply, stored resources in the rosette leaves (e.g. nitrogen) were remobilized, and made a larger contribution to seed biomass. A change in nutrition resulted in a complete reversal of the plant response: plants shifted from high to low nutrition exhibited a seed yield similar to that of plants grown continuously on a low nitrogen supply, and vice versa. This demonstrates that resource assimilation during the reproductive phase determines seed production. The PGM mutant had a reduced growth rate and a smaller biomass during the rosette phase as a result of changes in respiration caused by a high turnover of soluble sugars ( Caspar et al. 1986 ; W. Schulze et al. 1991 ). During flowering, however, the vegetative growth rate in the PGM mutant increased, and exceeded that of the wild-type. By the end of the flowering stage, the biomass of the PGM mutant did not differ from that of the wild-type. However, in contrast to the wild-type, the PGM mutant maintained a high vegetative growth rate during seed formation, but had a low rate of seed production. These differences in allocation in the PGM mutant result in a significantly lower seed yield in the starchless mutants. This indicates that starch formation is not only an important factor during growth in the rosette phase, but is also important for whole plant allocation during seed formation. The NU mutant resembled the wild-type grown on a low nitrogen supply, except that it unexpectedly showed symptoms of carbohydrate shortage as well as nitrogen deficiency. In all genotypes and treatments, there was a striking correlation between the concentrations of nitrate and organic nitrogen and shoot growth on the one hand, and sucrose concentration and root growth on the other. In addition, nitrate reductase activity (NRA) was correlated with the total carbohydrate concentration: low carbohydrate levels in starchless mutants led to low NRA even at high nitrate supply. Thus the concentrations of stored carbohydrates and nitrate are directly or indirectly involved in regulating allocation.     

有机肥替代部分化肥对水稻光合速率、氮素利用率和产量的影响

农业生产中合理施用有机肥对实现化肥零增长、提高土壤肥力和保证粮食稳产高产至关重要.本试验在辽宁省沈阳市稻田以'沈农9816'为供试材料,设置7种不同处理,分别为不施氮肥(CK)、低氮150 kg ? hm-2(LN)、中氮240 kg ? hm-2(MN)、高氮330 kg·hm-2(HN)、中氮有机肥替代10％(OM...     

Berberine production by batch and semi-continuous cultures of immobilized Thalictrum cells in an improved bioreactor

A new bioreactor (liquid-gas two-phase system) was devised for berberine-secreting Thalictrum minus cells immobilized in calcium alginate beads, which were alternately soaked in medium, and exposed to air. The highest yield of berberine (875 mg/l) was obtained by setting the cycle of medium supply and air supply for 30 seconds and 2 minutes, respectively, during a culture period of 30 days. Under such conditions of batch culture, the berberine productivity of immobilized cells was as high as that of freely suspended cells. Furthermore, the rate of berberine production by immobilized cells remained constant at a high value (50 mg/l/day) for a period of 60 days of semi-continuous culture achieved by renewal of medium at intervals of 10 days.     

Influence of varying nitrogen sources on polysaccharide production by Aureobasidium pullulans in batch culture

Summary Polysaccharide formation by Aureobasidium pullulans was affected by the nitrogen source in the medium, and its yield fell when excess ammonium ions were present, even under conditions which otherwise supported its synthesis. Experiments carried out with pH control gave results which question some of the earlier published data, so it is possible to obtain high polysaccharide yields at low pH (2.5), and mycelial growth at high pH (6.5) with certain nitrogen sources. There appeared to be no causal relationship between morphology and polysaccharide-producing capacity of the cultures.Offprint requests to: R. J. Seviour     

响应面模型分析高温蛋白酶菌株增殖和产酶关系

【目的】【方法】采用Box-Behnken法设计三因素三水平响应面实验,对比分析了高温蛋白酶高产菌株枯草芽孢杆菌BY25发酵过程中细菌生长与产酶之间的关系。【结果】实验表明,细菌生长与产酶的关系在各因素交互影响下变化显著。在中低水平的有机氮源添加条件下,细菌的大量繁殖显著抑制了蛋白酶产量,而在高水平的有机氮源添加条件下,细菌量的增长对产酶的作用由抑制转为促进。【结论】该结果表明,产酶诱导物有机氮源豆制品废渣的添加很可能显著提高了枯草芽孢杆菌群体中产酶菌的比率,而在没有合适诱导物的情况下通过增加细菌量并不能有效提高蛋白酶产量。     

Growth yields of methanotrophs

Summary The growth yield ofMethylococcus capsulatus (Bath) on methane was dependent on the availability of copper in the growth medium. In nitrate mineral salts medium the carbon conversion efficiency increased by 38%, concomitant with the transition from soluble to particulate methane monooxygenase, after transfer from low to high copper medium. An increase in growth efficiency was also observed with ammonia as nitrogen source but not when methanol replaced methane as carbon source. The high growth efficiency is attributed to a reduced NADH requirement for methane oxidation. This could only arise if methanol dehydrogenase was capable of electron transfer, either directly or indirectly to the particulate methane monooxygenase (MMO). The carbon conversion efficiency from methanol with nitrate as nitrogen source was as high as theoretically predicted. It is suggested that the previously low yields of methanotrophs grown on methanol resulted from the use, as nitrogen source, of ammonia which was oxidised by the MMO still present under these growth conditions. The term ‘methanotroph’ is used throughout to distinguish those organisms capable of growth on methane from ‘methylotrophs’ capable of growth on reduced C, compounds other than methane     

Production of aflatoxin by an Aspergillus flavus isolate cultured under a limited oxygen supply

In a previous experiment on the preservation of hay of high moisture content with formic acid, among other agents, aflatoxin was formed in the hay, and aflatoxin-forming strains of Aspergillus flavus were isolated from this hay after incubation in air as well as in an anaerobic jar. One isolate from the anaerobic jar was cultivated in a chemostat (Bioflo model C 30; New Brunswick Scientific Co.) in a defined medium with added B vitamins, yeast extract, or formic acid, with or without gas flow (air or nitrogen). In all cases where spore germination occurred, aflatoxin was formed in the cultures with gas flow, and small quantities of aflatoxins B1 and B2 occurred even in an atmosphere of nitrogen. Addition of B vitamins and supply of traces of air gave an approximately 15-fold increase in the amount of aflatoxin in 2 days. Carbon dioxide enrichment hindered aflatoxin formation on the defined medium even in the presence of B vitamins, but when formic acid was added, small quantities (5 to 15 micrograms/liter) were formed, and this low level remained constant until the gas flow was started.     

Production of aflatoxin by an Aspergillus flavus isolate cultured under a limited oxygen supply.

In a previous experiment on the preservation of hay of high moisture content with formic acid, among other agents, aflatoxin was formed in the hay, and aflatoxin-forming strains of Aspergillus flavus were isolated from this hay after incubation in air as well as in an anaerobic jar. One isolate from the anaerobic jar was cultivated in a chemostat (Bioflo model C 30; New Brunswick Scientific Co.) in a defined medium with added B vitamins, yeast extract, or formic acid, with or without gas flow (air or nitrogen). In all cases where spore germination occurred, aflatoxin was formed in the cultures with gas flow, and small quantities of aflatoxins B1 and B2 occurred even in an atmosphere of nitrogen. Addition of B vitamins and supply of traces of air gave an approximately 15-fold increase in the amount of aflatoxin in 2 days. Carbon dioxide enrichment hindered aflatoxin formation on the defined medium even in the presence of B vitamins, but when formic acid was added, small quantities (5 to 15 micrograms/liter) were formed, and this low level remained constant until the gas flow was started.     

Maximum production strategy for biodegradable copolymer P(HB-co-HV) in fed-batch culture of Alcaligenes eutrophus

A novel strategy for the maximum production of a biodegradable copolymer, poly(3-hydroxybutyric-co-hydroxyvaleric) acid, P(HB-co-HV), was developed, based on the kinetic parameters obtained from fed-batch culture experiments of Alcaligenes eutrophus. The effects of various culture conditions such as mole ratio of carbon:nitrogen in feed medium (C/N); total fatty acids concentrations; and addition ratio of fatty acids on cultivation properties such as the specific rates of cell formation, mu (h-1), P(HB-co-HV) production, rho[g.P(HB-co-HV)/g.cell/h], production yield from fatty acids [g.P(HB-co-HV)/g.fatty acid], and mole fraction of monomeric units in the copolymer [mol.(HV)/{mol.(HB) + mol.(HV)}], were investigated. When nitrogen supply was sufficient for cell growth; that is, C/N (mol.nitrogen atom/mol.carbon atom) was low, mu was high, but rho and the production yield were low, because fatty acids were used mainly for energy formation and anabolic reactions in the cells. On the other hand, when nitrogen supply was limited for cell growth-that is, C/N was high-rho was high. The highest value of rho was obtained when C/N was 75. As the mole ratio of valeric acid (VA) to butyric acid (BA) in the feed medium was increased, the mole fraction of HV units in P(HB-co-HV) increased linearly. When the ratio of BA to VA in the feed medium was kept at a constant value, but C/N was increased, the mole fraction of HV units decreased. In particular, when C/N was >12, the mole fraction of HV units decreased linearly as C/N increased. When VA was utilized as the sole carbon source and C/N was fixed at 4, P(HB-co-HV) with the highest mole fraction of HV units (67 mol%) was achieved. From these results, it was shown that both C/N and the mole ratio of BA to VA in the feed medium should be well controlled for an optimal production of P(HB-co-HV) with the desired value of the mole fraction of HV units. When the addition ratio of butyric acid was 50 wt% of total fatty acids, a maximum production strategy for P(HB-co-HV) was developed and realized experimentally, which was based on a model of the relationship between mu and rho.     

Microcycle Conidiation and Spore-Carrying Capacity of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides on Solid Media

The effect of spore inoculum density, medium concentration, and temperature on slime-spot formation, spore yield, and mycelium production by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides on agar media were studied with a simple microplate assay. A steady-state spore yield (spore-carrying capacity) independent of inoculum density was reached only on media that supported good fungal growth and sporulation. The spore-carrying capacity was reached earlier, the denser the inoculum. On standard mycological media a high inoculum density (2.5 × 10⁶ spores per ml) resulted in a slimy mass of conidia forming a slime spot, a phenomenon associated with greatly reduced mycelium formation and indicative of microcycle conidiation. In contrast, for a similar inoculum density, enhanced mycelial growth preceded sporulation and overrode slime-spot formation on highly concentrated media; a very low medium concentration resulted in much less mycelium, but spore production was also decreased. Exposure to suboptimal growth temperatures of 36 to 48°C for up to 8 days did not induce microcycle conidiation from inocula that did not form a slime spot at 28°C.     

主要营养成分对悬浮培养玫瑰茄细胞生长和花青素合成的影响

本文研究了培养基中碳源和氮源变化对悬浮培养玫瑰茄细胞生长和花青素合成的影响。在８种不同的碳源中,麦芽糖有利于花青素的积累,而蔗糖和葡萄糖适合细胞生长,并有较高的花青素产率。在１％～１０％蔗糖浓度范围内,４％浓度下细胞生长和花青素产率最高,而６％浓度下细胞花青素含量最高,高渗环境较有利于细胞花青素的积累。１３５ｍＭ的氮源总量已足够维持玫瑰茄细胞生长和花青素合成,氮源总量增加对细胞代谢有抑制作用。ＮＨ＋４对细胞有显著抑制作用。总量１３５ｍＭ,ＮＯ－３与ＮＨ＋４比例２５∶２和２３∶４时细胞生长和花青素合成最佳。