2D-PAGE EXAMINATION OF MESSENGER-RNA POPULATIONS FROM PENICILLIUM-FREII MUTANTS DEFICIENT IN XANTHOMEGNIN BIOSYNTHESIS

Penicillium freii (Lund and Frisvad 1994) mutants deficient in the syn thesis of xanthomegnin were isolated. In vitro translated mRNA populat ions from selected radiation induced mutants and naturally occurring P . freii strains not able to produce xanthomegnin were examined by 2-di mensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE). Specific trans lation products were absent in mutants and natural isolates unable to produce xanthomegnin metabolites. One mutant (TSM 73) did not produce several of these translation products, indicating that a mutation in a regulatory gene involved in xanthomegnin production had occcurred.