Correlation between reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate levels and morphological changes in...

A colonial mutant of Neurospora crassa, previously shown to be altered in the structure of glucose-6-P dehydrogenase [a reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) producing reaction], contained only 40% as much NADPH in extracts as did the wild type. A partial revertant strain, when grown at 23 C, had the same total NADPH content as the wild type, but, at 34 C, had lower levels of NADPH as well as a colonial morphology. A revertant with complete wild-type morphology had wild-type levels of NADPH. Two different colonial mutants, which have also been reported to be altered in NADPH-generating reactions, were found to have a lower content of NADPH, whereas other colonial mutants had wild-type levels. The wild-type strain, when grown under conditions in which it contained a lower total content of NADPH, had a morphology similar to that of a colonial mutant. The evidence indicates that lowered NADPH content leads to a dramatic alteration in the morphology of Neurospora, but not necessarily vice versa. The possible pleiotropic effects of the NADPH deficiency are discussed.