白麹菌の梗子配列について

Abstract

Microbiological properties of the white koji-molds (Kawachi koji molds) were investigated mainly on the arrangement of phialides in order to establish the taxonomic situation of these strains. The phialide arrangements of the white koji-molds are observed as a monoseriate in younger conidial heads, but as an arrangement of heterotypical jointed phialides in conidial heads at maturity. Heterotypical jointed phialides is defined as mixed phialides consisting of both biseriate phialides and branched phialides, in which some secondary phialides are multilaterally sprouting out of a metula, or a primary phialide. The same phialide arrangement is found in the conidial heads of Aspergillus awamori. The branched phialide is different from the typical biseriate phialide of A. niger, but recognized to be a variety of biseriate phialide. The white koji-molds, including A. kawachii IAM 2062, coincide substantially with A. awamori on many physiological properties, including assimilation ability of nitrite salts, and then they fall under the category of A. awamori. They are considered to be natural albinomutants of black koji-molds with the right variety-name of A. awamori var. kawachii.