BIOSYNTHESIS OF RIBOFLAVIN BY EREMOTHECIUM ASHBYII: IX. GROWTH AND RIBOFLAVIN FORMATION AND THEIR RELATION TO THE UTILIZATION AND ASSIMILATION OF THE CONSTITUENTS OF THE LIQUID CULTURE MEDIA

Abstract

The major amount of riboflavin is formed when the mycelia reach a mature stage and the major carbon source is almost exhausted. While the riboflavin is being synthesized in larger quantities, the mycelial dry weight, the total nitrogen, and total lipid content decrease. The mobilized cell reserves may be those components which call upon the biosynthesis of the major amount of the vitamin. At the stage of growth where glucose is almost completely utilized an increase in the excretion of pyruvic and lactic acids from the mycelia into the culture medium occurs. This may partly explain the increase in the acidity of the culture medium at that stage.