Pathways of glucose catabolism and the origin and metabolism of pyruvate during calcium-induced conidiation of Penicillium notatum.

Experiments examined the metabolic basis of Ca2+-induced conidiation during the 12-h period following the addition of Ca2+ to 40-h vegetative cultures of Penicillium notatum. Vegetative mycelium had enzymic capacity for three routes of glucose catabolism viz. the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas (EMP), pentose phosphate (PP) and the Entner-Doudoroff (ED) sequences. Inhibitors of EMP enzymes restricted vegetative growth more than that associated with conidiation whilst arsenate augmented the limited capacity of lower levels of Ca2+ to promote conidiation. Arsenite (5.6 mmol . l-1) partially blocked the metabolism of pyruvate and caused its accumulation, which was also promoted by Ca2+ alone. Arsenite did not induce conidiation in vegetative cultures but when combined with Ca2+ it enhanced conidiation. Radiorespirometry and the analysis of accumulated pyruvate, promoted by arsenite, indicated that approximately 54% of carbon was catabolized via combined EMP/ED routes and 46% by the PP pathway and subsequently via a weakly functional TCA cycle. Calcium-induced cultures swung to a primarily ED (25%) and PP (75%) based catabolism with low substrate level phosphorylation, including a facility for a non-phosphorylative ED route, and further diminished oxidative TCA capacity. Pyruvate accumulation in Ca2+-induced cultures coincided with the decline in activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase and a reduced capacity for gluconeogenesis, with other enzymes of pyruvate metabolism showing altered activities. These changes in enzyme activities, pyruvate accumulation and its subsequent metabolism were related to growth rate and the developmental cycle, and are discussed in conjunction with the regulatory role of calcium.