Abstract:
This study investigates the role of alternative NADH dehydrogenases in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger and their impact on metabolic efficiency in a bioprocess environment. A significant research gap exists in understanding how these enzymes affect fungal metabolism under oxidative stress conditions, which limits optimization in industrial fungal processes. The study aimed to evaluate the physiological and metabolic effects of inhibiting these dehydrogenases on growth rate, biomass production, protein content, and metabolic indicators. To achieve this, the enzyme inhibitor IACA was used in bioreactor and shake flask cultures under both air and oxygen-enriched conditions. Results demonstrated that inhibition of NADH dehydrogenases led to increased growth rates, biomass, and intracellular ATP levels in A. niger, while also enhancing protein concentrations and oxygen utilization. However, these improvements came with a trade-off in increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. The primary takeaway is that alternative NADH dehydrogenase inhibition can enhance fungal growth and productivity, though careful management of oxidative stress is essential.
Conclusion on the Role of Constant Systems Cell Disruption equipment:
Constant Systems’ high-pressure cell homogenizer played a critical role in this research by enabling effective cell disruption of Aspergillus niger for protein extraction. This step was essential for accurate intracellular protein quantification, contributing directly to the evaluation of the metabolic effects of NADH dehydrogenase inhibition. The homogenizer ensured consistent sample processing, supporting the reproducibility and reliability of the results, which underscore the equipment’s value in studies requiring precise cell lysis for downstream biochemical analysis.
