Abstract
We have analyzed the spatial pattern formation of macroconidia in Neurospora crassa (bd-strain). Macroconidia are the vegetative spores produced during vegetative growth of a mycelium as shown in Fig. 1. A fungal mycelium is initiated by a spore (or a small portion of mycelium) in the centre of a nutrient agar plate. Hyphae grow and branch in radial directions from this centre (Fig. 2). They can differentiate into aerial hyphae which give rise to spores (macroconidia). The well known concentric ring pattern of spore distribution is due to an internal clock mechanism (circadian rhythm) controlling spore differentiation (see [5, 6] for review). Various facts support the hypothesis that each hyphal filament contains an internal clock. Thus the fungal mycelium may represent an ensemble of coupled or noncoupled oscillators[2, 14].
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Deutsch, A., Rensing, L., Dress, A. (1991). Patterns of Spore Formation in Neurospora Crassa and Their Simulation With a Cellular Automaton. In: Holden, A.V., Markus, M., Othmer, H.G. (eds) Nonlinear Wave Processes in Excitable Media. NATO ASI Series, vol 244. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-3683-7_24
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-3683-7_24
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