Acremonium chrysogenum differentiation and biosynthesis of cephalosporin

Abstract On the basis of structure‐functional analysis of the development of Acremonium chrysogenum , e.g. under conditions either stimulating antibiotic synthesis or not conductive to production, a scheme was proposed representing the various ways in which morphological differentiation occurs in the culture in dependence on the directions of its metabolism. Three types of culture differentiation were determined. Type 1 differentiation is characterized by the transition of the vegetative stage into the reproductive one with the formation of conidia. Type 2 differentiation is characterized by the formation of typical arthrospores also being the reproductive form. Type 3 differentiation is characterized by the multistage transformation of the mycelium organization into the yeast‐like one which is metabolically more active and is a producer of antibiotics and enzymes. In addition to the defined regularities in the development and differentiation of Acremonium chrysogenum structural peculiarities were observed which could be helpful to the search for regulators or specific enzymes taking part in the culture development.