Abstract
Chemical extraction procedures have shown that sporopollenin is a major component of the ascospore wall of Neurospora crassa and Neurospora tetrasperma. The sporopollenin is about 12% total dryweight of ascospores, and is localised in the ribbed perispore layer. Radioactive β-carotene is efficiently incorporated into the sporopollenin, and it is suggested that carotenoids are the natural precursors that are polymerised in the perispore. However, three carotenoid-deficient mutants of N. crassa produced perispores of normal appearance and properties.
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Gooday, G.W., Green, D., Fawcett, P. et al. Sporopollenin formation in the ascospore wall of Neurospora crassa . Arch. Microbiol. 101, 145–151 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00455934
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00455934