Isozyme patterns and morphogenesis in higher basidiomycetes

Abstract

Earlier studies on sexual morphogenesis in higher basidiomycetes had indicated that there were major changes in the electrophoretic mobility and in the number of isozymes of several metabolic enzymes during the transition from homokaryon to dikaryon. Work with the malic dehydrogenase isozymes of Coprinus congregatus and Schizophyllum commune has not uncovered any isozyme shifts comparable to those reported earlier. The difference in the results of this work from the earlier ones is attributed, in part, to changes in technique involving exogenous electron carriers. Evidence is presented involving endogenous tetrazolium reductases and/or pyridine nucleotide dehydrogenases as the causal agents of artifactual bands. In addition, it is shown that the synthesis of the same proteins is regulated by nuclei in either the homokaryon or the dikaryon state and that in the dikaryon state there can be normal subunit aggregation of monomers to produce hybrid proteins. This evidence is discussed in relation to recent works that refute and confirm the earlier studies.