I 92 . Production of Phoenicine on Synthetic Media

PENICILLIUM PHOENICEUM, representative of Thom's classification of Monoverticillata ramigena, produces a red pigment, phoenicine, which, being watersoluble, diffuses almost entirely into the medium. Its catalytic function in the respiration of living cells and certain of its properties were first described by Friedheim [1933]. The constitution, viz. 2:2'-dihydroxy-4:4'-ditoluquinone, was established by Posternak [1938]. Friedheim states that phoenicine is produced by old cultures of the organism, grown on beerwort. On this medium the pigment does not appear until after the formation of the green conidia, but a further statement establishes the fact that phoenicine is formed at the outset, when the mould is cultured on media rich in carbohydrates. P. phoeniceum, which does not appear to have been previously grown on sugar media, was therefore inoculated on synthetic media containing 5 % glucose, of which three were chosen, viz. acid Czapek-Dox, Raulin-Thom and Raulin-Dierckx, a neutral medium.