Abstract

The development of the vegetative mycelium of Neurospora crassa was observed from spore germination to formation of a differentiated mycelium at the margin of a mature colony. During the first 22 h of growth there was little variation in extension rates and diameters of all hyphae, and the angle subtended by branch hyphae was 90°. Between 22 h and 28 h branch angle decreased to 63° and then remained constant. Extension rates and diameters of leading hyphae increased in parallel after 22 h, reaching maxima at 44 and 40 h respectively, and a hierarchy developed such that branch hyphae were narrower and extended more slowly than parent hyphae from which they arose. The timing and nature of these changes suggest that gradients in nutrient concentration are not responsible for mycelial differentiation and favour diffusion to the margin of paramorphogenetic staling compounds formed at the colony centre when growth ceases.

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