Authors: Hintikka, Veikko
Journal: Karstenia, Volume 12 (1971), pages 59-65.
Doi: https://doi.org/10.29203/ka.1971.75
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Abstract: “A strain of Mucor oblongisporus Naumov was isolated from snow-covered litter in Ruotsinkylä experimentad forest near Helsinki, Finland.
Its temperature relations, maximum around 20°C, optimum approximatelly 10°C, growth still visible at 0°C, indicate it to be a psychrophilic species.
The species utilizes several oligosaccharides, a notable exception being sucrose, on which no sporangia are developed. When certain other fungi are present on sucrose media, sporangia are developed vigorously, which is considered to indicate that the species is able to utilize glucose and fructose hydrolyzed from sucrose by ocher fungi.
No growth is obtained on media in which the sole source of carbon is cellulose. When certain wood-decomposing white-rot fungi are present, sporangia are produced abundantly. The effect of the other fungus does not depend on vitamins, as addition of glucose or vitamin-free media immediately initiates vigorous growth on a cellulose medium.
The species is evidently able to disperse spores along an ice surface in thin films of water. When a sporangium touches a piece of ice at 0°C, spores are violently discharged along the water film and cradks in the ice. The sporangium makes a hole approximately 20 µ deep in the ice.
The concepts of psychrophilic and secondary sugar fungus are discussed.”