Interference by methionine on valine uptake in Acremonium chrysogenum.

The incorporation of L-[U-14C]valine into delta-(L-alpha-aminoadipyl)-L-cysteinyl-D-valine (ACV), a direct biosynthetic precursor of penicillins and cephalosporins, was studied. When DL-methionine was added to Acremonium chrysogenum culture broths, no labeled ACV was found, while a large amount of radioactive ACV was detected when methionine was not present. DL-Norleucine, a nonsulfur analog of methionine, also inhibited the synthesis of radioactive ACV to some degree. This effect was due to the inhibition of valine transport by methionine and norleucine.