Transport processes in penicillin biosynthesis

Penicillium chrysogenum is a filamentous fungus used for the bulk production of penicillins by industry. Only the penicillins G and V are produced by fed-batch cultivation of high-yielding P. chrysomgenum strains. Transport studies in P. chrysogenum presented so far were conducted at mycelial suspensions only. Mycelial suspensions are inadequate for such studies as data are often affected by metabolism and compartmentalization of the transported compounds. This project was initiated to obtain solid information on the nature and specificity of the transport systems that reside in the plasma membrane and that are of important in penicillin production. To study these transport systems in detail a simple model system based on isolated plasma membranes had to be constructed