Significance of the Non-Oxidative Pentose Phosphate Pathway in Aspergillus oryzae Grown on Different Carbon Sources

Specific enzyme activities of the non-oxidative pentose phosphate pathway in Aspergillus oryzae mycelia grown on different carbon sources were determined. Mycelia grown on glucose, mannitol and ribose show the highest specific activities, ribose 5-phosphate isomerase being specially very enhanced. Moreover, transketolase, transaldolase, ribose 5-phosphate isomerase and ribulose 5-phosphate 3-epimerase were determined in different developmental stages of mycelia grown on glucose, mannitol and ribose. The non-oxidative pentose phosphate pathway is more active during conidiogenesis, except for ribulose 5-phosphate 3-epimerase, suggesting a fundamental role of this pathway during that stage to supply pentoses for nucleic acids biosynthesis. A general decrease of the enzyme activities was found in sporulated mycelia. Arabinose 5-phosphate was tested as metabolite of the pentose pathway. This pentose phosphate was not converted into hexose phosphates or triose phosphates and inhibits significantly the ribose 5-phosphate utilization, being therefore unappropriate to support the Aspergillus oryzae growth.