Factors Affecting the Production of Zygospores by Choanephora cucurbitarum

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Abstract
In the presence of (+) and (-) mycelia mature zygospores developed abundantly within a few days on a wide variety of agar and liquid media. On agar the favorable temperature range was 15 - 37[degree]C. Zygospores formed in darkness and in an atmosphere containing as much as 10% CO2. Zygospore production coincided with exhaustion of available C supply from medium and was induced by placing well nourished mycelium under starvation conditions. The favorable pH range was 4.5 - 8.5. A simple culture tube designed for slow continuous flow of liquid medium over growing mycelium is described. The beta-carotene which becomes concentrated in the suspensors during zygospore formation is believed to have some function in sexual reproduction. Mature zygospores were found in nature.