Filamentous fungi with high cytosolic phospholipid transfer activity in the presence of exogenous phospholipid.

The phospholipid transfer activity of cell extracts from 15 filamentous fungus strains grown on a medium containing phospholipids as the carbon source was measured by a fluorescence assay. This assay was based on the transfer of pyrene-labeled phosphatidylcholines forming the donor vesicles to acceptor vesicles composed of egg phosphatidylcholines. The highest phosphatidylcholine transfer activity was obtained with cell extracts from Aspergillus oryzae. The presence of exogenous phospholipids in the culture medium of A. oryzae was shown to increase markedly the activity of phospholipid transfer as well as the pool of exocellular proteins during the primary phase of growth. Modifications in the biochemical marker activities of cellular organelles were observed: succinate dehydrogenase, a mitochondrial marker; inosine diphosphatase, a Golgi system marker; and cytochrome c oxidoreductase, an endoplasmic reticulum marker, were increased 7.3-, 2-, and 22-fold, respectively, when A. oryzae was grown in the presence of phospholipids.