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

Abstract

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 24[degree]. 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 fractiona-tion on DEAE-cellulose into a number of components: the quantities/cell were differentially by illumination. Light caused a sharp de- crease 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.