Sexual differentiation in Aspergillus nidulans

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Abstract
Aspergillus nidulans was grown on media with added amounts of manganese ranging from 0–2.5 μM. Manganese deficiency prevented cleistothecium development, although good vegetative growth was retained. Subsequent analysis of the mycelium produced under Mn2+ deficient growth revealed that α-1,3 glucan, the main carbon and energy source for fructification, was virtually absent from the cell wall. Several enzymes related to cell wall composition were investigated. β-1,3 glucanase, and very remarkably, α-1,3 glucanase reached about the same activity on the Mn2+ deficient and sufficient media, but amylase and protease were about 60 and 75% lower respectively on the Mn2+ deficient media and the correlation of these findings is discussed.