Glucose released by hydrolytic activity of amylase influences the pigment synthesis in Penicillium sp NIOM-02.

Carbon catabolite repression is generally considered as a regulatory mechanism to ensure
sequential synthesis of secondarymetabolites. In this study we made an attempt to understand the
influence of amylase activity on pigment synthesis in Penicillium sp NIOM-02. The amylase activity
is inversely proportional to pigment production. The high performance liquid chromatography
analysis of amylase reaction revealed glucose as the major product of starch hydrolysis. The
fungus grown in acarbose (inhibitor of amylase) incorporated media produced higher quantities of
pigments. Apparently, glucose released due to amylase activity influenced the pigment synthesis
by cAMP signaling pathway.