Access to services: what are the real needs?

Adequate accessibility to managed care services is typically a key determining factor when an employer decides to implement a managed care plan. And although it can be difficult for an employer to determine what constitutes adequate accessibility, it is necessary in order for managed care utilization and associated cost savings to be maximized.

Disposition of Mycophenolic Acid, Brevianamide A, Asperphenamate, and Ergosterol in Solid Cultures of Penicillium brevicompactum.

When Penicillium brevicompactum was grown between layers of dialysis membrane on Czapek-Dox agar for 3 days, no synthesis of mycophenolic acid, brevianamide A, asperphenamate, or ergosterol occurred. After removal of the uppermost membrane layer, aerial mycelium developed and all four metabolites were formed. The bulk of the mycophenolic acid that was formed was excreted into the medium, the bulk of the brevianamide A and asperphenamate was found in the aerial hyphae, and ergosterol was found in both vegetative and aerial mycelia.

Brevianamides A and B Are Formed Only After Conidiation Has Begun in Solid Cultures of Penicillium brevicompactum.

In cultures of Penicillium brevicompactum grown on Czapek-Dox agar or on circles of dialysis membrane placed on Czapek-Dox agar, brevianamides A and B first appeared after conidiation had begun. The presence of these brevianamides imparted a yellow-green fluorescence to the penicilli and to the upper section of the conidiophores of actively conidiating cultures. Experiments with replacement cultures indicated that medium nutrient levels had little direct effect on brevianamide production. If P. brevicompactum was grown between two circles of dialysis membrane, no aerial hyphae were formed, and brevianamide production was not observed. Three brevianamide-minus mutants of P. brevicompactum were isolated.

Mycophenolic Acid Production by Penicillium brevicompactum on Solid Media.

When grown on Czapek-Dox agar, Penicillium brevicompactum produced mycophenolic acid after a vegetative mycelium had been formed and as aerial hyphae were developing. Nutrients were still plenteous in the agar when the synthesis began. If aerial hyphal development was prevented by placing a dialysis membrane over the growing fungus, no mycophenolic acid was produced. When the dialysis membrane was peeled back and, as a consequence, production of aerial hyphae began, mycophenolic acid biosynthesis was observed. We concluded that mycophenolic acid was produced only by P. brevicompactum colonies that possessed an aerial mycelium.