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Trisporic Acid Biosynthesis in Separate Plus and Minus Cultures of Blakeslea trispora: Identification by Mucor Assay of Two Mating-Type-Specific Components

Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506

ABSTRACT

Separate plus and minus cultures of Blakeslea trispora synthesize small amounts of trisporic acids under specific conditions. These amounts are expressed as a percentage of the trisporic acids (50 mg/liter of medium) synthesized by mixed plus-minus cultures in 5 days. Plus cultures, without additives from minus cultures, synthesize 0.1% trisporic acids. Plus cultures synthesize 0.4% trisporic acids when stimulated by M-factor, a mating-type-specific component synthesized by minus cultures. Minus cultures, without additives from plus cultures, do not synthesize even 0.0001% trisporic acids. Minus cultures synthesize 1% trisporic acids when stimulated by P-factor, a mating-type-specific component synthesized by plus cultures. Minus cultures synthesize M-factor when stimulated by , a component synthesized by plus cultures. We speculate that (i) minus cultures synthesize a component, µ, which stimulates P-factor synthesis in plus cultures, and (ii) both M-factor and P-factor are precursors of trisporic acids.