The assimilation of bicarbonate by Neocosmospora vasinfecta

Abstract

The assimilation of 14C-bicarbonate under controlled conditions was examined in midlog-phase mycelium grown on dextrose as sole carbon source. Sustained assimilation depended on the presence of exogenous nitrogen and carbon sources. When these were provided, assimilation rates of 20–30 μmoles/hour per 100 mg dry weight were maintained for at least 4 hours. After the second hour, almost all of the assimilated bicarbonate-C entered the 80% ethanol-insoluble fraction. Amino acids, especially aspartic and glutamic, were the main destination of assimilated bicarbonate-C; nucleic acids and acids of the tricarboxylic acid cycle accounted for smaller amounts of this carbon. The apparent Km for overall assimilation was 1.4 – 2.2 × 10−4 M with respect to bicarbonate.Assimilation was inhibited by inhibitors of protein synthesis, especially actidione and p-fluorophenylalanine. Evidence was obtained for regulation of assimilation by its end products, and also by the carbon source on which the mycelium was grown. It is concluded that assimilation of bicarbonate or CO2 has an anaplerotic function during protein synthesis in this organism.