RESPIRATION OF INTACT CELLS OF A LOW-TEMPERATURE BASIDIOMYCETE

Abstract

Conventional manometric procedures were used to measure oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide evolution by cells of a low-temperature basidiomycete. Total respiration was lowest and, relatively, endogenous respiration was highest in old cells. During starvation, endogenous respiration decreased but did so most rapidly in young cells. Maximum response to exogenous glucose was obtained from young cells after starvation. The respiratory quotient of endogenous respiration fell from 1.0 to approximately 0.7 during starvation, indicating a change in endogenous substrate. Conversely the respiratory quotient for exogenous respiration of added glucose increased with the starvation period. The level of oxidative assimilation of glucose was shown to be high (80-90%) and evidence was obtained that exogenous glucose did not suppress endogenous respiration.The optimum temperature for oxygen uptake was 25 °C, below which the Q₁₀ was approximately 2. At 30 °C the rate, while initially highest, decreased during the 6-hour incubation period.The fungus utilized various compounds as carbon sources, but not sucrose in short-term experiments. Glucose, but not xylose was fermented, although the ratio of carbon dioxide to ethanol was not 1:1. Inhibition by fluoride, arsenite, iodoacetate, fluoroacetate, and malonate suggested that both glucose and xylose are respired at least in part by the Embden-Meyerof pathway and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Endogenous respiration was only slightly affected by these inhibitors.