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Relationship between spore germination kinetics and lag time during growth of Mucor racemosus
P Dantigny1, C Soares Mansur, M Sautour
1Laboratoire de Microbiologie, UMR INRA 1082, ENS.BANA, Dijon, France. phdant@u-bourgogne.fr
Aims:
Spore germination requires microscopic observation whereas fungal growth results in a macroscopic examination. This paper aims at establishing a relationship between the percentage of germinated spores and parameters easily available from visible development.
Methods And Results:
About 225 spores of Mucor racemosus were inoculated on PDA medium and incubated at 15 degrees and 25 degrees C. Germination kinetics were modelled by a logistic function. Fungal development provided two parameters, a growth rate, micro, and a lag period, lambda, defined as the slope of the straight line of the graph radius (mm) vs time (h) and the intercept of this line with the X-axis, respectively.
Conclusions:
It was found that the lag period coincided with the completion of the germination process, although the number of spores inoculated should be controlled carefully.
Significance And Impact Of The Study:
Providing that this result can be generalized, this procedure would constitute a significant breakthrough for predicting food spoilage by moulds.
Insights
This study links fungal spore germination to visible growth parameters. The lag period in fungal development accurately predicts spore germination completion, aiding in food spoilage prediction.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Food Science
- Mycology
Background:
- Spore germination requires microscopic analysis.
- Fungal growth is assessed macroscopically.
- A link between these two is needed for practical applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- Establish a relationship between spore germination percentage and macroscopic fungal development parameters.
- Develop a predictive model for fungal spoilage.
Main Methods:
- Inoculated *Mucor racemosus* spores on PDA medium.
- Incubated cultures at 15°C and 25°C.
- Modeled germination kinetics using a logistic function and analyzed macroscopic growth (radius vs. time).
Main Results:
- Identified a lag period (lambda) and growth rate (micro) from macroscopic fungal development.
- The lag period correlated with the completion of spore germination.
- Logistic function effectively modeled germination kinetics.
Conclusions:
- The lag period of macroscopic fungal growth can indicate the completion of spore germination.
- Careful control of initial spore concentration is crucial for accurate results.
- This method offers a potential breakthrough for predicting food spoilage by molds.