Abstract
The effects of the secondary metabolite biosynthesis on the metabolism and morphology of the Monascus purpureus were investigated in this study. Hypha and septum length became longer after deletion of genes pigR and pksCT in M. purpureus LQ-6 by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation technology, highly branched hyphae, much smaller and freely dispersed mycelial pellets were observed in M. purpureus. Compared with that in the wild-type, the level of intracellular NADH and NADPH was almost constant in M. purpureus ΔpigR at 4 days, but the NADH and NADPH levels decreased by 1.58-fold and 3.71-fold in M. purpureus ΔpksCT. The present study can not only provide a kind of strategy to improve the Monascus pigments production, but also provide theoretical support for the further study of relationship between the secondary metabolites, metabolism and morphological change.