Biochemistry of Sexual Morphogenesis in Schizophyllum commune: Effect of Mutations Affecting the Incompatibility System on Cell-Wall Metabolism

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A number of homokaryons of Schizophyllum commune, which carry various mutations affecting the incompatibility system, and a wild-type homokaryon were grown and examined for differences in the net synthesis of the cell-wall polysaccharides S-glucan, R-glucan, and chitin and in the activity of an enzyme hydrolyzing R-glucan (R-glucanase) in mycelial extracts and culture media. Only slight differences were observed for the accumulation of S-glucan and chitin. In comparison with the wild-type homokaryon, a very high S-glucan/R-glucan ratio was found in a primary B-factor mutant strain. Essentially, wild-type S-glucan/R-glucan ratios were restored in two strains in which additional mutations restored normal morphology: a strain carrying a secondary B-factor mutation and a strain carrying a modifier mutation in addition to the primary B-factor mutation. The S-glucan/R-glucan ratios in three A-factor mutants were intermediate between those of the wild-type homokaryon and the primary B-factor mutant. In young, growing cultures of the various homokaryons, except for the A-factor mutants, a correlation was found between the S-glucan/R-glucan ratios in the cell wall and the activities of R-glucanase in mycelial extracts. A certain specificity of the effect of the studied mutations on enzyme activities was indicated by the fact that, in young cultures, changes in R-glucanase activities were not paralleled by similar changes in the activities of laminarinase and maltase. The results can be correlated with particular morphological features of the homokaryons and, together with earlier results obtained with heterokaryons, indicate the activity of R-glucanase as an integral component of sexual morphogenesis regulated by the incompatibility factors.

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