Light-Stimulated Polysaccharide and Protein Synthesis by Synchronized, Single Generations of Blastocladiella emersonii

Abstract

SUMMARY: Improved methods are described for growing about 108 to 109 synchronized single generations of ordinary-colourless (OC) cells of the aquatic fungus Blastocladiella emersonii in submerged liquid 1200 ml. cultures at 240. The stimulatory effect of white light on the synthesis of the internal pool of soluble protein and soluble polysaccharide, and on the dry wt./cell during ontogeny was assessed. Soluble protein was characterized by fractionation on DEAE-cellulose into a number of components: the quantities/cell were affected differentially by illumination. Light caused a sharp decrease in total glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity/cell during the last stages of growth, when the light-induced formation of soluble polysaccharide/cell was most pronounced.