ALLOSAMIDIN INHIBITS THE FRAGMENTATION OF ACREMONIUM-CHRYSOGENUM BUT DOES NOT INFLUENCE THE CEPHALOSPORIN-C PRODUCTION OF THE FUNGUS

The pseudotrisaccharide allosamidin, a potent inhibitor of chitinases, retarded the fragmentation of hyphae but did not affect the fungal gr owth and cephalosporin-C production in Aci Acremonium chrysogenum. In vitro inhibition of A. chrysogenum cell-bound chitinase(s) by allosami din revealed that about 47% of the soluble intracellular chitinase act ivity was resistant to the inhibitory effect of allosamidin. On the ot her hand, about 76% of the total chitinase activity localised in both the soluble and insoluble enzyme fractions was effectively inhibited b y allosamidin. All the chitinase activities were measured using a new procedure based on purified A. chrysogenum chitin as substrate. (C) 19 98 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Else vier Science B.V. All rights reserved.