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The effects of some polyamine biosynthetic inhibitors on growth and morphology of phytopathogenic fungiWe have studied the effects of two polyamine biosynthetic inhibitors, alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) and alpha-difluoromethylarginine (DFMA), and of polyamines (PAs), alone and in combination, on mycelial growth and morphology of four phytopathogenic fungi: Botrytis sp, B. cinerea, Rhizoctonia solani and Monilinia fructicola. The inhibitors were added to a Czapek agar medium to get final concentrations of 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 mM. DFMO and DFMA, suicide inhibitors of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and arginine decarboxylase (ADC) respectively, inhibited mycelial growth strongly; the effect was generally more pronounced with DFMA than with DFMO, but each fungus had its own response pattern. The addition of the PAs putrescine (Put) and spermidine (Spd) to the culture medium resulted in a promotion of growth. In Botrytis sp and Monilinia fructicola exposed to inhibitors plus PAs, mycelial growth was actually increased above control values. Mycelial morphology was altered and cell size dramatically reduced in plates containing inhibitors alone, whereas with PAs alone, or in combination with inhibitors, morphology was normal, but cell length and diameters increased considerably. These results suggest that PAs are essential for growth in fungal mycelia. The inhibition caused by DFMA may be due to its arginase-mediated conversion to DFMO.
Document ID
20040089244
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Rajam, M. V.
(Yale University New Haven, CT 06511, United States)
Galston, A. W.
Date Acquired
August 21, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1985
Publication Information
Publication: Plant & cell physiology
Volume: 26
Issue: 4
ISSN: 0032-0781
Subject Category
Life Sciences (General)
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
NASA Discipline Plant Biology
Non-NASA Center
NASA Program Space Biology
NASA Discipline Number 40-10

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