Dark-induced morphogenesis in synchronized cultures of Blastocladiella britannica.

Horenstein, E. A. (Michigan State University, East Lansing) and E. C. Cantino. Dark-induced morphogenesis in synchronized cultures of Blastocladiella britannica. J. Bacteriol. 84:37-45. 1962-A method is described for growing synchronized, single generations of a million cells or more of the aquatic fungus, Blastocladiella britannica, uniformly suspended in agitated liquid media. The effects of population density upon the cell volume, dry weight, and generation time are described. The all-or-none effect of light and dark upon differentiation of thin-walled cells and thick-walled, pitted, resistant-sporangial cells, respectively, has been demonstrated, and the point of no return for both morphological pathways defined.