Ambient alkaline pH prevents maturation but not synthesis of ASPA, the aspartyl protease from Penicillium roqueforti.

Penicillium roqueforti secretes an aspartyl protease, ASPA, which represents the main extracellular proteolytic activity. Alkaline pH of the medium plays a major role by inhibiting the enzymatic activity and stopping aspA expression in the presence of casein, an inducing protein. However, casein degradation by the mature enzyme produces peptides which can induce aspA expression at acidic and alkaline pH. ASPA synthesized as a proenzyme is processed at an acidic pH but not at an alkaline pH. The data indicate that, in P. roqueforti, alkaline pH has an indirect repressive effect by inhibiting ASPA maturation and the release of inducers. At an acidic pH, the mature enzyme degrades extracellular proteins and peptides are released to induce aspA. In contrast, at an alkaline pH, the proenzyme remains inactive, the inducing substances are consequently not produced and aspA is no longer expressed.

aspS encoding an unusual aspartyl protease from Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is expressed during phytopathogenesis.

The gene aspS encoding an aspartyl protease has been cloned from Sclerotinia sclerotiorum by screening a genomic library with a PCR-amplified fragment of the gene. The open reading frame of 1368 bp interrupted by one intron would encode a preproprotein of 435 amino acids. The catalytic aspartyl residues characteristic of aspartyl proteases are conserved; however, the active-site motif (DSG) in the N-terminal lobe is unusual in that Ser replaced Thr used in the active-site motif (DTG) of the C-terminal lobe and in all other fungal aspartyl proteases. RT-PCR revealed that aspS expression in axenic culture is not subjected to catabolite repression and demonstrated that aspS is expressed from the beginning of infection of sunflower cotyledons.

Contributions to a revision of the genus Trichosporon.

The genus Trichosporon was revised using characters of morphology, ultrastructure, physiology, ubiquinone systems, mol% G + C of DNA, DNA/DNA reassociations and 26S ribosomal RNA partial sequences. A total of 101 strains was used, including all available type and authentic cultures of previously described taxa. Nineteen taxa could be distinguished, 15 of which having Q-9 coenzyme systems and 4 having Q-10. Sixteen previously described names were reduced to synonymy. One new species was described. The genus is characterized by the presence of arthroconidia. Few species possess further diagnostic morphological characters, such as the presence of appressoria, macroconidia or meristematic conidiation. The septa of two species were found to be non-perforate, while those of the remaining species contained dolipores at variable degrees of differentiation, with or without vesicular or tubular parenthesomes. All species were able to assimilate a large number of carbon compounds; visible CO2 production was absent. The genus was found to be fairly homogeneous on the basis of a phylogenetic analysis of partial 26S rRNA sequences, with the exception of T. pullulans which proved to be unrelated. Most taxa were found to occupy well-defined ecological niches. Within the group of taxa isolated from humans, a distinction could be made between those involved in systemic mycoses and those which mainly caused pubic or non-pubic white piedras, respectively. One species was consistently associated with animals, while others came mainly from soil or water. One species was mesophilic and another psychrophilic.

DNA of some anaerobic rumen fungi: G + C content determination.

The nuclear DNAs from five species of anaerobic rumen fungi have been isolated and purified by means of two extraction methods (with and without 8 M urea). Their G + C contents have been characterized by the thermal denaturation procedure of Marmur and Doty. As has already been shown in Neocallimastix frontalis, the results obtained by the two techniques demonstrated a very low G + C content (less than 20%) and the constant presence of satellite DNA.

[Coenzyme Q of various species of the genus Pichia: qualitative and quantitative determinations]. / Coenzyme Q de quelques espèces du genre Pichia. Détermination qualitative et quantitative.

The qualitative determination by paper chromatography and the quantitative determination by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) of the Coenzyme Q system have been investigated for in 23 species of the genus Pichia. We have adapted HPLC to the quantitative analysis of the Coenzyme Q system. We have found the presence of 2,3 or 4 ubiquinones in the same Coenzyme Q extract.

[DNA-DNA hybridization in several species of Hansenula]. / Hybridation ADN-ADN chez quelques espèces du genre Hansenula.

The genus Hansenula was considered a long time ago as a good pattern for phylogenetic research. In 1969, Wickerham proposed an evolutive scheme based upon morphological, physiological and ecological criteria. Recently, relatedness among yeasts were analysed by DNA-DNA hybridization in liquid medium. H. anomala var. anomala (G + C content: 37.1%) was compared with H. anomala var. schneggii (37.6%), H. subpelliculosa (33.8%) line 3, H. sydowiorum (40.1%) and H. muscicola (37.1%). These results showed little relatedness between H. anomala var. anomala/H. ciferrii and H. anomala var. anomala/H. subpelliculosa. On the other hand, H. anomala var. schneggii shared 89.5% of its nucleotide sequences with H. anomala var. anomala. These 2 strains were considered to represent the same species. H. holstii showed 67.1% complementarity with H. anomala var. anomala: this strain is considered to represent valid species, different from H. anomala var. anomala, but H. muscicola with 72.5% relatedness to H. anomala var. anomala could be considered as a 'limit species'. An unexpected finding was that H. beckii was closely related to H. anomala var. anomala (84.8%). These data suggested the inadequacy of current criteria used to establish the phylogenetic lines in genus Hansenula.

[Study of intracellular enzymes in the genus Schizosaccharomyces. Sistematic implications]. / Recherche d'enzymes intracellulaires dans le genre Schizosaccharomyces. Implications systématiques.

In the genus Schizosaccharomyces intracellular osidases and nitrite and nitrate reductases are revealed; particularly all the species possessing invertase, alpha-glucosidase and alpha-galactosidase. These characters underline the homogeneity on the genus. On the basis of osidases, nitrite and nitrate reductases results, 2 groups can be distinguished in this genus.