Induction of extracellular arabinases on monomeric substrates in Aspergillus niger

The induction of extracellular arabinases by pentose sugars and polyols generated by the metabolic pathway of L-arabinose and D-xylose catabolism in Aspergillus niger was investigated. Induction occurred with L-arabinose and L-arabitol but not with D-xylose or xylitol. L-arabitol in particular was found to be a good inducer for alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase and endo-arabinase activities. Western blotting analysis showed both alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase A and B to be present. No induction was observed using D-arabitol. Unlike the wild type A. niger N402 strain, the A. niger xylulose kinase negative mutant N572 also showed induction of alpha-L-arabinofuranosidases A and B and endo-arabinase activity on D-xylose and xylitol. This is due to metabolic conversion of these compounds leading to the accumulation of both xylitol and L-arabitol in this mutant, the latter of which then acts as inducer. The induction of the two alpha-L-arabinofuranosidases and endo-arabinase is under the control of two regulatory systems namely pathway specific induction and carbon catabolite repression. Under derepressing conditions in the wild type only alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase B could be detected by Western blotting analysis. This indicates that alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase B is of importance in the initiation of specific induction of the various arabinose activities in A. niger grown on arabinose containing structural polysaccharides.