EFFECT OF N-ALKANOLS ON ACIDIFICATION CURVES OF AUREOBASIDIUM-PULLULANS SUSPENSIONS

Citation
Md. Moragues et al., EFFECT OF N-ALKANOLS ON ACIDIFICATION CURVES OF AUREOBASIDIUM-PULLULANS SUSPENSIONS, Experimental mycology, 18(1), 1994, pp. 1-6
Citations number
13
Categorie Soggetti
Plant Sciences",Mycology
Journal title
ISSN journal
01475975
Volume
18
Issue
1
Year of publication
1994
Pages
1 - 6
Database
ISI
SICI code
0147-5975(1994)18:1<1:EONOAC>2.0.ZU;2-V
Abstract
n-Alkanols, from methanol to 1-hexanol, induce yeast-to-hyphae transit ion in the dimorphic fungus Aureobnsidium pullulans. In order to eluci date whether triggering of the morphogenetic event is membrane related , we have studied the effect of the morphogenetic n-alkanols on the pH of suspensions of A. pullulans, with no external carbon source. n-Alk anols, at their hyphal inducing concentration or higher, caused a decr ease in the initial acidification rate (C) of yeast-phase cell suspens ions of A. pullulans. From this effect on C, an inhibition coefficient (K) was deduced, specific for each alcohol. These coefficients were d irectly related to the lipid/buffer partition coefficients of the alka nols. On the other hand, germ tubes of A. pullulans, obtained in the p resence of n-propanol, showed a much slower acidification rate in wate r than yeast cells. Moreover, 1-propanol or 1-butanol did not signific antly affect the initial acidification rate of germ tubes. The latter observation was interpreted as an adaptation of cells grown in the pre sence of alcohol. The results of all these experiments support our hyp othesis that the plasma membrane is a target of the morphogenetic effe cts of n-alkanols. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.