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Transhyphal electrical currents in fungi

N A Gow

    Journal of General Microbiology
    |December 1, 1984
    PubMed

    Insights

    Fungal hyphae generate electrical currents during growth, a process potentially universal across species. These ion currents enter at the tip and exit at the rear, correlating with growth rate and width.

    Area of Science:

    • Mycology
    • Electrophysiology
    • Cell Biology

    Background:

    • Hyphal tip growth is crucial for fungal development and colonization.
    • Electrical phenomena in biological systems are increasingly recognized for their functional roles.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the generation and characteristics of electrical currents during fungal hyphal tip growth.
    • To determine if transhyphal ion currents are a universal feature of fungal growth across different phyla.

    Main Methods:

    • Measurements of electrical current density at the hyphal tips of representative fungi (Achlya bisexualis, Neurospora crassa, Aspergillus nidulans, Schizophyllum commune, Coprinus cinereus).
    • Observation of current direction and correlation with hyphal extension rates and dimensions.

    Main Results:

    • All tested fungi (phycomycete, ascomycete, basidiomycete) generated steady electrical currents at hyphal tips.
    • Positive current consistently entered apically and exited distally in growing hyphae; non-growing hyphae showed no such current.
    • Current density ranged from 0.05 to 0.06 microA cm-2, with higher densities in wider, faster-growing hyphae.

    Conclusions:

    • Transhyphal ion current generation appears to be a universal characteristic of fungal hyphal growth.
    • These electrical currents may play a role in localizing growth at the hyphal apex.

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