ORIGIN OF AMINO ACIDS CONSTITUTING CELLULAR PROTEIN IN GERMINATING CONIDIOSPORES OF ASPERGILLUS NIGER

• Published in: Plant and cell physiology 1959-12, Vol.1 (1), p.17-28
• Main Authors: TAKEBE, ITARU, YANAGITA, TOMOMICHI
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0032-0781; 1471-9053; 1471-9053
• DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.pcp.a075747

Formation of pool amino acids in germinating spores of Aspergillus niger strain 1617 was investigated. The pool amino acids comprised mainly glutamic acid and alanine. Small amounts of pyruvate and α-ketoglutarate were found to increase almost in parallel with the course of increase in the amount of free amino acids up to the stage of onset of active protein synthesis. Asparticglutamic transaminase activity was exhibited even in dormant spores and it developed in response to the increase in cellular protein. Alanine-glutamic transaminase activity, on the other hand, was lacking in dormant spores and appeared at the stage of accumulation of amino acids preceding protein synthesis. It was revealed from the experiments with 35S-labeled spores that the dormant spores of this fungus contain two unidentified sulfur substances, and the sulfur of these substances is incorporated into the sulfur amino acids of the protein synthesized in germinating spores.