Nucleic Acid Metabolism in Developing Sclerotia of the Rice Sheath Blight Fungus (Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn)

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Abstract
Sclerotia of the rice sheath blight fungus R. solani Kuehn were examined for their capacity to synthesize RNA, DNA and polyadenylic acid and for their ribonuclease and protease activities during development on a liquid medium. During maturation sclerotia appeared to pass through 3 phases. The first, a period of rapid RNA synthesis, was accompanied by a decline in the content of polyA(+)-RNA and a decrease in the permeability of the sclerotia. Apparently the first 2 h were a time of reorientation of cellular metabolism. This was followed by a period of general synthesis lasting for 30 h which was accompanied by a further decrease in permeability, increased protease and ribonuclease activities and a rapid build-up of ribosomes. The 2nd period terminated when protease activity declined, the other activities stabilized and the sclerotia began to turn brown. The 3rd period, maturation, lasted for 15 days, at which time the sclerotia began to float.
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