Isolation and characterization of microbodies and symphyomicrobodies with different buoyant densities from the fungus Blastocladiella emersonii.

Microbodies isolated from sporangia of the aquatic fungus $\text{Blastocladiella emersonii}$ have a mean buoyant density of 1.222 g/cm³ after centrifugation through a linear sucrose gradient, and contain catalase, isocitrate lyase and malate synthase. Microbodies fuse to produce one symphyomicrobody per zoospore at the time of sporogenesis. An increase in density accompanies this process. The symphyomicrobody has a mean buoyant density of 1.292 g/cm³ while the spore's single mitochondrion has a buoyant density of 1.219 g/cm³. Statistical data are also provided for both starting levels and purification of symphyomicrobody and mitochondrial enzyme markers.