VIEW ARTICLE

Physiology and Biochemistry

Sporulation in Bipolaris maydis: Enhancement by Xylose. M. O. Garraway, Associate Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, and Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster, OH 44691; R. C. Evans, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Rutgers University, Camden, NJ 08102. Phytopathology 67:990-993. Accepted for publication 31 January 1977. Copyright © 1977 The American Phytopathological Society, 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121. All rights reserved.. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-67-990.

Xylose (1.0-10.0 g/liter) stimulates sporulation, but not mycelial growth, of Bipolaris maydis when added as a supplement to a basal agar medium containing glucose. Sporulation on a xylose-supplemented medium was significantly higher than on a nonsupplemented control medium, whether L-asparagine or NaNO₃ was used as the nitrogen source or thiamine-HCl and trace elements were added. Sporulation, but not mycelial growth, was significantly higher when the nitrogen source was L-asparagine than when it was NaNO₃. With L-asparagine or NaNO₃, sporulation, but not mycelial growth, was significantly reduced by 0.1 or 1.0 mg/liter thiamine-HCl. Stimulation of sporulation in B. maydis by xylose and inhibition of sporulation by thiamine-HCl may provide clues to key physiological mechanisms controlling sporulation.