Colonial growth of Neurospora. Sorbose and enzymes alter the composition of the cell wall and induce morphological changes

Abstract

L-Sorbose, an agent which induces colonial growth in Neurospora crassa, also induces structural changes in the cell wall. Acid hydrolyzates of cell walls isolated from sorbose-grown (colonial) hyphae contain more glucosamine and less glucose than do hydrolyzates of cell walls obtained from normally growing hyphae. Snail digestive juice, an agent which effects a structural change in the cell wall of N. crassa by liberating from it large quantities of glucose, has been found to induce colonial growth.