Carbon-assimilation Pattern and Fruit-Degrading Enzymes in an Apple Blue Mold, Penicillium expansum

Abstract

Penicillium expansum, rotting blue mold, is frequently isolated from spoiled apple fruits during storage and transportation. Besides spoiling the fruit, the fungus produces a mycotoxin, patulin. Therefore there have been many investigations to prevent the infection and spread of P.expansum. But relationship between the growth characteristics of the fungus and the preferential spread of it into the fruit has not been revealed. This study deals with the growth specificity on fruit constituents of P. expansum, the productivity of enzymes by the fungus and the action site of the enzymes on fruit tissue.