A new function of trehalose and the peculiarities of lipid formation in mycelial fungi

Abstract

This work deals with lipid formation in ascomycete fungi and the effect of preservatives on them. A new biological function of trehalose was revealed, and of particular interest was the fact that the effect of this disaccharide depended on its concentration in the growth medium. In the presence of a preservative such as potassium sorbate (PS), low trehalose concentrations suppressed the growth of mycelial fungi contaminating hard cheeses and contributed to the prolongation of the preservative’s effect. A tenfold increase in trehalose concentration in the medium, conversely, resulted in a drastic increase in growth activity and removed the PS effect. Therefore, trehalose can function as an inhibitor or a stimulator of growth processes, depending on its concentration. It was established that the secondary growth of Penicillium fungi during their ontogeny is accompanied by consumption of accumulated reserve lipids. In contrast, this phenomenon does not occur in mucorous fungi, and this probably accounts for the fact that Mucorales representatives can accumulate significant triacylglyceride amounts during the idiophase.