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Regulation of Organic Acid Production by Aspergilli

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Book cover The Genus Aspergillus

Part of the book series: Federation of European Microbiological Societies Symposium Series ((FEMS,volume 69))

Abstract

Within the fungal kingdom, the accumulation of organic acids in considerable amounts is one of the major domains of aspergilli. These acids may be summarised as falling into two groups, i.e. such derived from sugars by simple oxidation (i.e. gluconic acid, kojic acid) and those, which are related to tricarboxylic acid intermediates (citric, cis-itaconic, malic, oxalic and epoxy-succinic acid). The mechanisms by which aspergilli accumulate these organic acids have attracted the interest of numerous researchers through several decades (for review see Roehr et al., 1983a). The basic metabolic routes involved in the formation of these acids have been established, Figure 1: aspergilli can utilise two different pathways for glucose catabolism, i.e. the hexose-bisphosphate (Embden-Meyerhoff-Parnas) pathway and the hexosemonophosphate (pentose phosphate) shunt. It has been shown that the hexose-bisphosphate pathway prevails under conditions of high acid accumulation. In addition to these pathways, Aspergillus niger and some other species (as well as several other fungi) form a glucose oxidase, which catalyses the formation of glucono-8-lactone from glucose, hence connecting glucose utilisation with gluconate breakdown (Roehr et al., 1983b).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Abteilung für Mikrobielle Biochemie, Institut für Biochemische Technologie und Mikrobiologie, TU Wien, Getreidemarkt 9/1725, A1060, Wien, Austria

    C. P. Kubicek & J. Visser

  2. Section Genetics, Department of Genetics, Agricultural University, Dreijenlaan 2, 6703 HA, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    C. F. B. Witteveen

Authors
  1. C. P. Kubicek
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  2. C. F. B. Witteveen
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  3. J. Visser
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Zeneca Agrochemicals, Bracknell, UK

    Keith A. Powell  & Annabel Renwick  & 

  2. University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK

    John F. Peberdy

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Kubicek, C.P., Witteveen, C.F.B., Visser, J. (1994). Regulation of Organic Acid Production by Aspergilli. In: Powell, K.A., Renwick, A., Peberdy, J.F. (eds) The Genus Aspergillus . Federation of European Microbiological Societies Symposium Series, vol 69. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0981-7_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0981-7_9

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

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