The induction of α-amylase by starch in Aspergillus oryzae: evidence for controlled mRNA expression

Abstract

The induction of α-amylase by starch has been studied in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae. Low levels of α-amylase activity were found in both intracellular and extracellular samples from glucose-grown cultures. However, α-amylase activity increased when starch was the sole carbon source. The intracellular enzyme activity was induced by a factor of approximately 6.5, while the extracellular activity increased 20-fold over that found in the glucose-grown cultures. Regardless of the carbon source or cellular location, the molecular weight of the active protein was 52 500 ± 1800 and only this protein reacted with antibodies specific for α-amylase. A parallel study of the in vitro translated proteins directed by poly(A)⁺ RNA fractions indicated a presumptive α-amylase with a similar isoelectric point but with a molecular weight of approximately 54 000. This protein was most prevalent using RNA from early, exponentially growing cultures in starch medium. Immunoprecipitation data indicate that the abundance of α-amylase transcripts decreases dramatically after the first 12 h, reflecting an initial transcription control for the expression of this enzyme.