Production of gliotoxin by penicillium terlikowskii Zal.

Abstract

A Penicillium producing gliotoxin, isolated from Wareham Heath soil, has been identified as P. Terlikowskii Zal. Culture filtrates from this mould developed greater fungistatic activity on Raulin-Thom and Weindling media than on Czapek-Dox or a Corn-steep medium. In Weindling, a wide variety of carbon sources may be used and ammonium, peptone and nitrate nitrogen is suitable as a nitrogen source. The initial pH of the medium should be above pH 4·0. An impurity in a crude grade of glucose used in some of the culture media was found to increase sporulation and to stimulate greatly development of fungistatic activity in culture filtrates. It has not been found possible to associate this effect with various minor elements (iron, copper, zinc, manganese, molybdenum), calcium, various vitamins (aneurin, nicotinic acid, riboflavin, inositol, pyridoxin, β-indolyl acetic acid), peptone or yeast extract. There is considerable variation in the capacity to produce gliotoxin among strains of P. Terlikowskii; a common sterile mycelial variant, though vigorous in growth, produces little, if any, gliotoxin. The possible significance of gliotoxin as a factor concerned in the maintenance of microbiological equilibria in soil is discussed.