Increased phospholipid transfer protein activity in Aspergillus oryzae grown on various industrial phospholipid sources

The effect of industrial carbon sources on phospholipid transfer protein pr oduction was investigated. Phospholipid fractions of different composition were prepared from various plant oils (i.e., soybean, rapeseed, and sunflow er) according to the Lucas Meyer extraction and purification process. The e ffect of these fractions on phospholipid transfer protein activity of cell extracts from Aspergillus oryzae grown on medium containing these phospholi pids as sole carbon source was studied. It was shown that phospholipid tran sfer activity was markedly increased by extracts containing a particular ph ospholipid composition. However, this stimulation depends mainly upon the p hospholipid composition of the fraction used as fermentation substrate. Fra ctions enriched mainly in phosphatidylinositol (Epikuron 110), at the expen se of phosphatidylcholine, were the most efficient sources for phospholipid transfer protein production by A. oryzae. Maximal phospholipid transfer ac tivity, as well as biomass production, were increased 4.1- and 9.7-fold, re spectively, when cultures were supplemented with Epikuron 110 prepared from sunflower lecithin, as compared to glucose-control cultures.