[Characterization of mitochondria of Aspergillus niger from mycelium growing in surface and submerged culture conditions (author's transl)].

This paper deals with studies on tightly coupled mitochondria present in the active citric acid producing mycelium of Aspergillus niger growing in surface and submerged culture. A special homogenizer had been used for rapid extraction of mitochondria. Observation in the electron microscope indicated that some of the isolated mitochondria were probably damaged during preparation. Nevertheless, the crude mitochondrial fraction was capable of coupling phosphorylation to the oxidation of three different substrates tested viz., succinate, citrate and NADH. It was found that yield of mitochondria was greater in submerged mycelium than in the surface mycelium of A. niger.