The Spore Surface in Pithomyces chartarum

Abstract

SUMMARYCrystalline spicules of sporidesmolides, together with some lipid, form the surface layer of spores of Pithomyces chartarum. The formation of the spicules is controlled by the amino acids present in the culture medium.

Spore Surface Depsipeptides in Some Pithomyces Species

“…The experiments of Davies (1961) suggested that water-repellent properties may be important in spore dispersal; this is supported for Pithomyces chartarum by the observations of Crawley, Campbell & Smith (1962). However, spores of this organism also bear a surface layer of lipid (Bertaud et al 1963). Whether the depsipeptide spicules significantly augment water-repellency is therefore open to doubt, particularly as they are so easily detached.…”

“…Spores from all isolates grown on potato glucose agar and examined in the electron microscope were found to bear spicules similar to those present on Pithomyces chartarum spores (Bertaud et al 1963; P1. 1, figs.…”

“…It was suggested (Bertaud et al 1963) that because of their chemical similarity to certain antibiotics the Pithomyces chartarum depsipeptides might confer a selective advantage on this organism in its natural habitat by inhibiting the growth of bacteria. To demonstrate conclusively the absence of antibiotic activity is impossible, but neither the present findings nor those of other workers (Shemyakin et al 1963) provide any evidence to support this suggestion.…”

Fatty Acid and Hydrocarbon Constituents of the Surface and Wall Lipids of Some Fungal Spores

“…This surface may consist largely of waxy material (Emeis, 1958; Laseter, Weete & Weber, 1968b) but there are few reports in which the presence of surface lipid has been confirmed chemically. Crystalline spicules of cyclic peptides together with some lipid occur on the surface of Pithomyces chartarum spores (Bertaud, Morice, Russell & Taylor, 1963) but the lipids reported from the surface of various smut spores (Orb, Laseter & Weber, 1966) may be intracellular (Weete, Laseter, Weber, Hess & Stocks, 1969).…”

Preparation and Properties of a Hyphal Wall Fraction from Pithomyces chartarum

“…The chemical nature of the spicules which invest the conidia of Pithomyces chartarum was recently elucidated (Bertaud, Morice, Russell & Taylor, 1963). Continuing such studies in chemical morphology, we wished to investigate the spore wall that underlies the layer of lipid and depsipeptide.…”