GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE WATER MOLD RHIZIDIOMYCES IN PURE CULTURE

Fuller , Melvin S. (Brown U., Providence, R. I.) Growth and development of the water mold Rhizidiomyces in pure culture. Amer. Jour. Bot. 49(1): 64–71. Illus. 1962.—A method for growing pure cultures of many of the single or few-celled phycomycetous fungi such as Rhizidiomyces is described. This method facilitates both qualitative and quantitative study of such fungi during their growth and development. Zoospores of Rhizidiomyces start to grow within 3 hr after being placed in a liquid medium, and are ready to discharge new zoospores after about 40 hr growth at 25 C. The single nucleus of the zoospore goes through many synchronous mitotic divisions during the development of the mature multinucleate cell. Under carefully controlled environmental conditions, sporangium discharge occurs in a definite and predictable manner. Observations suggesting a possible mechanism of sporangium discharge are presented and discussed.