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Thermostimulation of conidiation and succinic oxidative metabolism of Neurospora crassa

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Summary

The conidiogenic effect of temperature was investigated for its manifestation on the succinic oxidative system of Neurospora crassa. It was found that the initiation of conidiation was associated with a peak of succinate dehydrogenase activity. The succinate dehydrogenase activity decreased after the peak period of conidial differentiation. The strongest succinate dehydrogenase activity was measured in 37° C cultures.

A second wave increase of succinate dehydrogenase was present in femalefertile (25° C) but was absent in the female-sterile (37° and 40° C) cultures.

The cytochrome oxidase activity steadily decreased with the aging of the cultures.

Malonate (10-1 m) was found to stimulate conidiation. This stimulation was associated with higher succinate dehydrogenase activity.

Riboflavine was found to accumulate with aging and was higher in 37° and 40° C cultures respectively as compared to 25° C cultures.

The ultrathin sections of the conidia revealed that increase in conidial size at 37° C was accompanied with the swelling of the mitochondria and prominence of the endoplasmic reticulum. In conidia from 40° C cultures the mitochondria were shrunken and the endoplasmic reticulum broken.

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Dedicated with gratitude to Prof. Dr. A. Rippel-Baldes.

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Ojha, M.N., Turian, G. Thermostimulation of conidiation and succinic oxidative metabolism of Neurospora crassa . Archiv. Mikrobiol. 63, 232–241 (1968). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00412840

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