Acid phosphatase synthesis in Aspergillus flavus

Proteins with phosphatase activity were produced during the growth of Aspergillus flavus in a phosphate-supplemented liquid synthetic medium. The best carbon and nitrogen sources for the synthesis of phosphatase were glucose and ammonium sulfate, respectively. The proteins were separated by molecular exclusion and ion exclusion chromatography (IEC) into three components one of which showed phosphatase activity. The molar mass of the enzyme was approximately 62 kDa. The purified enzyme exhibited an optimum activity at pH 4.0 and at 45 degrees C. The activity of the enzyme was stimulated by Ca2+ and Mg2+ but inhibited by fluoride, iodoacetic acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and 2,4-dinitrophenol, and exhibited an apparent KM of approximately 420 mumol/L.