Changes in membrane lipids and amino acid transport in a nystatin-resistant Aspergillus niger

A nystatin-resistant mutant of Aspergillus niger is described that has quantitative changes in phospholipid composition compared with the wild type. The proportion of linoleic acid in total phospholipids was elevated in the mutant from 38 to 56% and the proportion of oleic acid was lowered from 28 to 12%. Amino acid transport is also altered, the Vmax values for the uptake of leucine, lysine, and glutamic acid being generally higher in the mutant; for glutamic acid the increase was from 15 to 35 nmol.mg-1.min-1.