376 A MANUAL OF THE PENICILLIA 



trinic acid. The pigment is an optically active, yellow, crystalline car- 

 boxylic acid, melting with decomposition at 217 to 223°C., and having the 

 composition C15H17O5N. By decarboxylation in acid and alkaline solutions, 

 penitrinic acid gave isomeric products of the composition Ci4Hi703N, desig- 

 nated as a-penitrin and /S-penitrin, respectively. These appeared to be 

 phenols. Posternak and Jacob (1940) described the production of an 

 orange-yellow pigment from P. citreo-roseum Dierclcx, designated citreo- 

 roseine and having the empirical formula CisHioOe. The pigment appeared 

 to be an anthraquinone. Kuhn (1943) reported P. notatum, P. chryso- 

 genum, and P. melcagrinum in the presence of H3BO3 to form a luminous, 

 yellow, greenly fluorescent, pigment, designated borocitrine. The same 

 species were the only three out of 24 species of Penicillia tested which pro- 

 duced penicillin. Tauber and Laufer (1943) studied the color reactions of 

 several natural pigments, including that of P. chrysogenum. 



In addition to penicillin, Penicillium iiotatuvi produces another substance 

 with marked antibiotic properties, variously designated as penatin (Ko- 

 cholaty, 1942a, 1942b, 1943a, and 1943b), notatin (Coulthard, et al., 1942; 

 Birkinshaw and Raistrick, 1943; and Coulthard, et al., 1945), and penicillin 

 B (Roberts, et al., 1943). This antibiotic is a protein and acts as a glucose 

 oxidase, exerting its powerful antibiotic action by the liberation of H2O2. 

 It is highly toxic to animals and man. Since it occurs under conditions 

 that are not conducive to the formation of penicillin, it does not, however, 

 interfere with the production of the more useful antibiotic. Coulthard, 

 et al. (1945) isolated in crude form an antibacterial substance from P. 

 resticulosum (see p. 457) which they regarded as probably identical with 

 notatin. 



PENICILLroM OXALICUM SeRIES 



Outstanding Characters 



Colonies broadly spreading, velvety, plane or developing irregular or radial 

 furrows, heavily sporing throughout, in dull to dark blue-green shades, 

 with conidia often forming deep layers which break off when the culture 

 dish or tube is tapped, releasing a cloud of spores. 



Conidiophores typically arising from the substratum in a dense stand, 

 variable in length but usually less than 200/i, smooth-walled. 



Penicilli biverticillate, asymmetrical, consisting of 2 or more metulae bear- 

 ing sterigmata, or irregularly branched, with branches and metulae some- 

 times arising at the same level, often closely appressed. 



Sterigmata closely parallel, commonly bearing conidia in adlierent chains 

 producing loose to compact spore columns up to 500m or more in length. 



Conidia consistently elliptical, smooth-walled. 



