L-Arabinose Induces Synthesis of Secreted beta-Galactosidase in the Filamentous Fungus Penicillium canescens

I. V. Nikolaev^* and Yu. P. Vinetski

Institute of Genetics and Selection of Industrial Microorganisms, 1-yi Dorozhnyi pr. 1, Moscow, 113545 Russia; fax: (095) 315-0501; E-mail: nikolaev@vnigen.msk.su

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received February 4, 1998; Revision received March 25, 1998

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The mechanism of induction of secreted beta-galactosidase was studied in the filamentous fungus Penicillium canescens. L-Arabinose and its metabolite L-arabitol induce the synthesis of the enzyme. Apart from beta-galactosidase, L-arabinose induces the synthesis of other extracellular carbohydrolases including alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase. Increasing L-arabinose concentration above 1 mM or addition of other carbon sources results in carbon catabolite repression of the synthesis of the secreted enzymes. The data suggest that arabinofuranosidase can regulate the synthesis of secreted enzymes in P. canescens, thus controlling the level of free L-arabinose.

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KEY WORDS: induction, carbon catabolite regulation, beta-galactosidase, L-arabinose

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