Trisporic acid biosynthesis in separate plus and minus cultures of Blakeslea trispora: identification by Mucor assay of two mating-type-specific components.
Separate plus and minus cultures of Blakeslea trispora synthesize small amounts of trisporic acids under specific conditions. These amounts are expressed as a percentage of the trisporic acids (50 mg/liter of medium) synthesized by mixed plus-minus cultures in 5 days. Plus cultures, without additives from minus cultures, synthesize 0.1% trisporic acids. Plus cultures synthesize 0.4% trisporic acids when stimulated by M-factor, a mating-type-specific component synthesized by minus cultures. Minus cultures, without additives from plus cultures, do not synthesize even 0.0001% trisporic acids. Minus cultures synthesize 1% trisporic acids when stimulated by P-factor, a mating-type-specific component synthesized by plus cultures. Minus cultures synthesize M-factor when stimulated by pi, a component synthesized by plus cultures. We speculate that (i) minus cultures synthesize a component, mu, which stimulates P-factor synthesis in plus cultures, and (ii) both M-factor and P-factor are precursors of trisporic acids.
D001681:Biological Assay; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D003470:Culture Media; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005658:Fungi / Q000378:metabolism*; D005827:Genetics, Microbial; D009089:Mucor / Q000378:metabolism*; D013053:Spectrophotometry; D013997:Time Factors
D003470:Culture Media; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; C004574:trisporic acid