We investigate selected topics in the metabolism of the filamentous fungi Ashbya gossypii, Botrytis cinerea, Phialemonium curvatum and Aspergillus species.

Sometimes it is easier to work with Saccharomyces cerevisiae because this yeast is a model system e.g. for biosynthetic pathways.

Since the amino acid glycine is limiting riboflavin overproduction in Ashbya gossypii, we studied the alternative pathways contributing to the intracellular pool.

Biosynthesis of glycine can occur via four different enzymes. We studied three of them:

Threonine aldolase, encoded by GLY1, is most important in Saccharomyces cervisiae.

We could show that AGX1 encodes an alanine:glyoxylate aminotransferase contributing to the glycine pool when yeast grows on ethanol as sole carbon source.

Knock-out of SMH2, encoding cytosolic serine hydroxymethyl transferase in Ashbya gossypii, reduces the flux from glycine to serine.