Lydia Adour

Growth of Geotrichum candidum and Penicillium camembertii in liquid media in relation with the consumption of carbon and nitrogen sources and the release of ammonia and carbon dioxide

The growth of the filamentous fungi Geotrichum candidum and Penicillium camembertii on peptones as a sole carbon and nitrogen source, and in the presence of a second carbon source, lactic acid, have been compared. On both media, G. candidum exhibited similar kinetics until the end of growth, since it preferentially metabolized peptones as a carbon source, and lactic acid only for cellular maintenance during stationary phase. Growth of G. candidum was then nitrogen limited (peptones). On the contrary, fewer amino acids were convenient carbon sources for P. camembertii, resulting in a simultaneous consumption of peptones and lactic acid, and a cessation of growth due to the complete consumption of lactic acid. Morever, a lower amount of ammonia was produced since this metabolite resulted from the deamination of only carbon and nitrogen source amino acids. The production of ammonia induced an alkalinization of the broth (from 4.5 to 7.1). Morever, it was demonstrated that lactic acid consumption contributed also to media alkalinization (final pH 8.4). In absence of lactic acid, the medium contained a lower amount of available carbon, resulting in the absence of stationary state, deceleration growth phase was immediately followed by the death phase.

Carbon and nitrogen yields during batch cultures of Geotrichum candidum and Penicillium camembertii

Batch cultures of Geotrichum candidum and Penicillium camembertii were carried out on peptones as carbon and nitrogen source and in the presence of lactate as a second carbon source. Unless growth ceased, carbon and nitrogen yields remained constants, except yields involving lactate consumption by G. candidum, since this fungus preferentially metabolized peptones as a carbon source. For both fungi, nearly 40% of the available carbon was metabolized for cellular biosynthesis and the remainder (about 60%) as carbon dioxide, for the energy supply of both biosynthesis and viable cell maintenance. Moreover, in relation to their carbon content, amino acids contain excess nitrogen, which was released as ammonium. From all these, the yields of ammonium nitrogen on cellular nitrogen were in all cases higher than 1, and were especially high when the medium contained only peptones as a carbon source, 4.4 and 5.7 for G. candidum and P. camembertii respectively. Indeed, in this case, the excess nitrogen was especially pronounced.

Sequential use of ammonium and leucine as nitrogen sources during growth of Geotrichum candidum on a glucose based medium

Geotrichum candidum growth on ammonium and leucine as nitrogen sources and glucose as a carbon source was examined. A clear preference of G. candidum for ammonium over leucine as a nitrogen source was shown. Indeed, ammonium was completely exhausted at the end of exponential growth after less than 35 hrs of culture; in contrast only 5% of leucine was concomitantly assimilated. Growth continued at slower rates on glucose and leucine as carbon and nitrogen sources respectively, and at the end of culture (185 hrs), leucine was completely exhausted.