A. S. Memorskaya

Peculiarities of Exogenous Dormancy of Aspergillus nigerConidia

Aspergillus nigerconidia are characterized by exogenous dormancy: the first stage of their germination is accomplished in twice-distilled water. However, germ tube formation requires the availability of carbon and nitrogen sources. Exogenous dormancy in A. nigerconidia exhibits the following peculiar features: (i) nitrogen-containing substances are active stimulators of germination; (ii) temperature-dependent changes in the lipid bilayer and in the neutral lipid composition of conidia are virtually identical to those occurring in growing mycelium under temperature stress; and (iii) the spore viability threshold does not exceed 45°C; i.e., the spores are more heat-resistant than the mycelium, but they are less heat-resistant than the spores that are in the state of endogenous dormancy. According to the current classification of the types of cell metabolism arrest, the exogenous dormancy of A. nigerconidia resembles the pattern of metabolism characteristic of vegetative cells during the idiophase.

Changes in lipid composition and carbohydrate composition of Aspergillus niger conidia during germination

Data on the lipid composition and carbohydrate composition of Aspergillus niger conidia make it possible to characterize the individual germination stages and differentiate between the conidia capable of germination and those that lost the germination capacity. The following criteria are proposed: the ratio of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine, the ratio of mannitol and arabitol, and the levels of sterols and free fatty acids. The role of these compounds in the biochemical background of cell transition from dormancy to active metabolism and their use as indices of the quality of inocula in biotechnological processes are discussed.

Different mechanisms of the biochemical adaptation of mycelial fungi to temperature stress: Changes in the cytosol carbohydrate composition

The effect of temperature stress on the cytosol carbohydrate composition of fungi belonging to various systematic groups was investigated. InMucorales representatives (subkingdomEomycota, phylumArchetnycota, classZygomycetes), adaptation to hypo- and hyperthermia occurs via the regulation of trehalose synthesis, although inositol is also involved in these processes inBlakeslea trispora. InAscomycota (subkingdomNeomycota), oversynthesis of mannitol and glycerol occurs under hypothermia, whereas oversynthesis of trehalose and inositol takes place under hyperthermia.Basidiomycota (subkingdomNeomycota) use two pathways of biochemical adaptation, depending on the cytosol carbohydrate composition. In the absence of sucrose, glycerol and arabitol are involved in the adaptation to hyperthermia; trehalose accumulates under hypothermic conditions (type I of regulation). Type II regulation (revealed inPleurotus ostreatus) involves sucrose rather than glycerol or arabitol. The data obtained are discussed in terms of fungal systematics and phylogeny.

[Developmental change of the composition and content of the chitin-glucan complex in the fungus Aspergillus niger].

The change of the content and composition of the chitin-glucan complex (CGC) of the ascomycete Aspergillus niger during its development has been studied. In submerged mycelium, the complex is dominated by glucan, whereas chitin is predominant in sporophores and spores. The highest CGC content has been noted in sporophores in the terminal phase and in submerged mycelium in the idiophase; i.e., before the formation of dormant cells. On the grounds of the correlation of the content and composition of lipids, protecting carbohydrates, and CGC, it is suggested that cell wall structural polysaccharides are involved in biochemical adaptation to adverse factors.

Germination of basidiospores of Agaricus bisporus

The type of dormancy and conditions necessary for germination of Agaricus bisporus basidiospores were studied. Basidiospores failed to germinate on starvation agar and required the presence of carbon and nitrogen sources (asparagine and/or glucose) in the medium. Upon 3-week storage, basidiospores germinated after 4–5 days. Heat shock (20 min at 45°C) and decreased temperature facilitated activation of germination. Heterocyclic compounds stimulating germination of endogenously dormant spores, such as furfural, failed to activate germination. The data obtained suggested an endogenous dormancy of A. bisporus basidiospores differing from zygospores of Mucorales. Basidiospores contained 17–19% lipids with a composition of fatty acids differing from those of the pileus and stipe of the fruiting body. The soluble carbohydrates of the cytosol amounted to 12% dry spore weight and consisted of mannitol (74%) and trehalose (26%). Unlike basidiospores stored at 2°C, basidiospores stored for 5 months at 20°C lost their ability to germinate, which correlated with a decrease in the content of trehalose.

Zygote Formation in Blakeslea trispora: Morphological Peculiarities and Relationship with Carotenoid Synthesis

Changes associated with zygospore formation in the mucorous fungus Blakeslea trispora were studied. Zygospores are dormant cells with thickened cell walls and large central lipid vacuoles containing large amounts of lycopene. We established for the first time that B. trispora gametangia of different sexes differ in their carotenoid content and revealed that zygote formation involves a novel structure that consists of densely intertwined hyphae. Using inhibitory analysis (blocking β-carotene synthesis with diphenylamine and 2-amino-6-methylpyridine), we showed that suppression of carotene producion results in the inhibition of zygote formation. Hence, we established a manifest dependence of zygote formation on β-carotene synthesis.

Different mechanisms of the biochemical adaptation of mycelial fungi to temperature stress: changes in the lipid composition.

A comparative study was conducted concerning the effect of temperature stress on the lipid composition of representatives of the subkingdomsEomycota andNeomycota. Changes in the composition of lipid acyl chains (such as saturation and desaturation, isomerization, and changes in the length of fatty acid carbon chains), in the phospholipid composition, and in the contents of sterols and other neutral lipids were revealed. Hyperthermia resulted in (i) an increase in the phosphatidylcholine level, (ii) a decrease in the phosphatidylethanolamine level, (iii) a rise in the content of reserve lipids (triacylglycerols), and (iv) a decline in the free fatty acid level in the neutral lipids. An inverse pattern occurred under hypothermic conditions. The peculiarities in the patterns of the temperature adaptation-related changes in the lipid bilayer composition are considered in terms of the systematic position of the fungi.

The effect of different heat influences on composition of membrane lipids and cytosol carbohydrates in mycelial fungi

Comparison of the changes in the composition of the membrane lipids and soluble cytosol carbohydrates caused by two types of heat influence (within the tolerance zone and heat shock-level) revealed fundamental differences in the stress response of fungal cells. In three fungal species, Aspergillus niger, Pleurotus ostreatus, and Cunninghamella japonica, increased levels of trehalose and phosphatidic acids were observed under heat shock, while heat influences within the tolerance zone had no such effect. Under heat shock, the ratio of saturated fatty acids did not increase in any of the major phospholipids of all the studied species. This is in contradiction with the existing hypothesis and confirms the previously suggested the hypothesis of membrane stabilization by heat-protecting compounds.

Lipid composition of the mucoraceous fungus Blakeslea trispora under lycopene formation-stimulating conditions

Stimulation of lycopene synthesis in the mycelium of the mucoraceous fungus Blakeslea trispora was accompanied by major changes in its lipid composition. The phospholipid content in the membrane lip-ids doubled, whereas the sterol and sphingolipid levels changed insignificantly. The amounts of phosphatidyl-choline, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidic acid in the phospholipids and the triacylglycerol content in the acylglycerols increased. The desaturation degree of fatty acids drastically increased against the background of a decrease in that of the neutral lipids. The data obtained are discussed in relation to the mechanism of action of the lycopene formation stimulator.

[Fungal lycopene: the biotechnology of its production and prospects for its application in medicine].

This article deals with the lycopene of mycelial fungi. It pays special attention to its physical and chemical properties, occurrence in nature, biological functions, and the biotechnology of lycopene production. Data are presented concerning the medically important properties of lycopene and the drug Mycolycopene prepared on its basis. Its prospective use in the therapy of prostate cancers is discussed.