title: Stimulatory effects of blue light on the growth, monascin and ankaflavin production in Monascus.
abstract: Light is an important signal for fungi. We analyzed the influence of blue light of various intensities and illumination times on growth, monascin (MS) and ankaflavin (AK) biosyntheses in Monascus strain M9. Blue light changed the color of colonies. The colonies grown in the dark were orange, but turned pale when exposed to continuous blue light. MS production increased by 12.5, 27, and 14.5 % under blue light of 100 lux for 15 min/day, 100 lux for 30 min/day, and 200 lux for 15 min/day, respectively, compared to growth in the dark. AK production increased by 14.4, 22, and 13 % under the same condition. MS and AK production decreased when exposed to blue light of 300 and 450 lux. The expression of pigment biosynthetic genes were analyzed by real-time quantitative PCR and correlated with phenotypic production of MS and AK.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Food Engineering and Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, No. 29, 13th Avenue, TEDA, Tianjin, 300457, People's Republic of China, clw123@tust.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Changlu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Di
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Mianhua
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yurong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhenjing
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Fengjuan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D053898:Biosynthetic Pathways / Q000528:radiation effects; D005415:Flavins / Q000378:metabolism*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006575:Heterocyclic Compounds, 3-Ring / Q000378:metabolism*; D008027:Light; D032741:Monascus / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects*; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005415:Flavins; D006575:Heterocyclic Compounds, 3-Ring; D010860:Pigments, Biological; C499916:ankaflavin; C517880:monascin