Carbohydrate Uptake and Metabolism of Ophiobolus graminis

The carbohydrate nutrition of Ophiobolus graminis, the cause of the take-all disease of wheat, was investigated in growth and respiration experiments. In a synthetic medium, d-mannitol was the only carbohydrate of thirteen studied which the fungus could not use for growth. However, the fungus was found to take up mannitol by an active mechanism, which was stopped by 2,4-dinitrophenol. Di- and trisaccharides were hydrolyzed extracellularly, and the monosaccharides were assimilated at different rates.