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Flow sensing in mycelial fungi
1Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Technology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Tokyo 184, Japan.
Journal of Biotechnology
|February 21, 1998
Summary
Fungal hyphae, including Aspergillus niger, sense liquid flow and reorient growth direction to move upstream. This upstream growth response was observed across various fungi, indicating a conserved mechanism in response to fluid dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Mycology
- Microbiology
- Fluid Dynamics
Background:
- Fungal growth and morphology are influenced by environmental factors.
- Understanding fungal responses to physical stimuli like fluid flow is crucial for various applications, including industrial fermentation and understanding natural ecosystems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the directional growth response of fungal hyphae to continuous liquid flow.
- To identify specific fungal species exhibiting pronounced upstream growth.
- To determine the effect of varying flow rates on hyphal reorientation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a continuous-culture flow cell to expose fungal hyphae to controlled liquid medium flow.
- Coated substrates with poly-L-lysine to facilitate hyphal attachment for observation.
- Exposed hyphae of various mycelial fungi, including Aspergillus niger, to flow rates ranging from 0-6400 microns s-1 for 1-4 hours.
- Observed and quantified hyphal tip reorientation and alignment relative to the flow axis.
Main Results:
- Mycelial fungi demonstrated a consistent reorientation of hyphal growth towards the upstream direction in a flowing liquid medium.
- Aspergillus niger exhibited the strongest polarization towards upstream growth.
- Hyphal tips aligned parallel to the flow axis, with polarization reaching a plateau at flow rates above 1600 microns s-1.
- While germ tube emergence was not polarized in some fungi, subsequent hyphal growth consistently directed upstream.
Conclusions:
- Fungal hyphae possess a mechanism to sense transient liquid flow over their surface.
- This sensing ability allows for directional growth adaptation, specifically orienting towards the upstream current.
- The observed phenomenon suggests a conserved response to fluid dynamics in mycelial fungi, independent of detectable changes in pH or oxygen concentration.