Abstract
Activation of Phycomyces blakesleeanus spores resulted in the production of large amounts of pyruvate and 2-oxoglutarate. Incubation of dormant spores in 0·1 m-pyruvate at pH 3 resulted in a high internal pyruvate concentration but no 2-oxoglutarate was formed and neither germination nor respiration was stimulated. The capacity of isolated mitochondria to decarboxylate [1-14C]pyruvate was doubled by heat activation of the spores. This difference in activity disappeared when the mitochondria were subjected to treatments attacking the integrity of the mitochondrial membrane (detergent, resuspension in buffer without osmotic stabilizer). The increase in pyruvate decarboxylating activity was found only after heating the spores at temperatures also triggering germination of the spores. Pyruvate uptake by the mitochondria seems, therefore, to be a limiting factor in dormant spore metabolism.
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