Trisporic Acid Production by Blakeslea trispora and its Promotion by Barbiturate

Abstract

SUMMARY: Defined procedures for the production of trisporic acids in laboratory-scale cultures of mixed plus and minus Blakeslea trispora, and specific assay procedures, are described. Increases in carotenoid and steroid synthesis in such cultures were observed when phenobarbitone was added to the medium; the effect was mainly due to an increase in trisporic acid yields, which in turn is ascribed to the induction of higher levels of mixed function oxygenase enzymes by the barbiturate.