Carbon source regulation of β-galactosidase biosynthesis in Penicillium chrysogenum

• Published in: Journal of basic microbiology Vol. 41; no. 6; pp. 351 - 362
• Main Authors: Nagy, Zoltán, Keresztessy, Zsolt, Szentirmai, Attila, Biró, Sándor
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin WILEY-VCH Verlag Berlin GmbH 01.01.2001; WILEY‐VCH Verlag Berlin GmbH
• Subjects: beta-Galactosidase - biosynthesis; Caffeine - pharmacology; Cyclic AMP - analysis; Glucose - metabolism; Glucose - pharmacology; Lactose - metabolism; Lactose - pharmacology; Penicillium chrysogenum; Penicillium chrysogenum - enzymology
• ISSN: 0233-111X; 1521-4028
• DOI: 10.1002/1521-4028(200112)41:6<351::AID-JOBM351>3.0.CO;2-O

Growth and β‐galactosidase activity of the penicillin producer industrial Penicillium chrysogenum NCAIM 00237 strain were examined using different carbon sources. Good growth was observed using glucose, sucrose, glycerol and galactose, while growth on lactose was substantially slower. β‐Galactosidase activity was high on lactose and very low on all the other carbon sources tested. In glucose grown cultures after exhaustion of glucose as repressing carbon source a derepressed low level of the enzyme was observed. cAMP concentration in lactose grown cultures was relatively high, in glucose grown cultures was low. Caffeine substantially decreased glucose consumption and growth but did not increase β‐galactosidase activity and did not prevent glucose repression which rules out the involvement of cAMP in the regulation of β‐galactosidase biosynthesis in Penicillium chrysogenum.