Summary
Furfural uptake was studied with regard to possible mechanisms of inducing germination in ascospores. Uptake was found to involve a large, weakly bound reversible component and a small tightly bound irreversible component. Localization experiments indicate that almost all of the furfural removed from the media is bound to the spore wall. However, a small amount may penetrate into the cytoplasm. The results so far suggest that furfural induces germination by solubilizing or activating a bound or compartmentalized enzyme(s) on the cell membrane or other diffusion barrier of the cell.
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This paper is part of a dissertation submitted to the Rackham Graduate School of the University of Michigan in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Botany by Frederick I. Eilers.
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Eilers, F.I., Sussman, A.S. Furfural uptake by Neurospora ascospores. Planta 94, 265–272 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00385758
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00385758