ALKALOID PRODUCTION BY PENICILLIUM PALITANS WESTLING IN SUBMERGED ANDSURFACE CULTIVATION

Penicillium palitans Westling VKM F-3088 synthesizes clavine alkaloids during surface cultivation attended by conidia formation. In the cour se of submerged growth in various media, neither alkaloid synthesis no r conidia formation occurs. Introduction of calcium ions into the cult ure medium as a factor inducing cellular differentiation in fungi fail ed to cause conidia formation and alkaloid synthesis. Comparative anal ysis of alkaloid fractions derived from the mycelium and conidia of th e fungus showed identical alkaloid composition of both fractions which contain alpha-cyclopiazonic acid, pyroclavine, festuclavine, fumigacl avine A, and fumigaclavine B.