Aflatoxin and kojic acid production by resting cells of Aspergillus flavus link.

Resting Aspergillus flavus synthesized more aflatoxin on a medium with
glucose than they did with any other snbstrate tested. D·Xylose and ethanol
fostered the formation of kojic acid but not aflatoxin. Yields of kojic acid
and aflatoxin responded differently to alteration in temperature, pH,
surface-volume ratio of the culture medium, and the presence of various
chemicals in the medium. [14C]Acetate as a substrate led to strongly labelled
aflatoxin being formed. The simultaneous addition of unlabelled kojic
acid did not lower the relative isotope content of the synthesized toxin.
On the other hand, addition of unlabelled acetate to medium with [14C]kojic
acid did reduce the relative isotope content of the toxin synthesized. It is
concluded that the synthesis of kojic acid and aflatoxin follow separate
pathways, and that kojic acid is not an intermediate in aflatoxin synthesis
by resting cells of A. flavus.