SUMMARY: An extract of the basidiomycete Stereum hirsutum attracted plasmodia of Badhamia utricularis. Attracted plasmodia moved at a fairly constant speed until they contacted the source of attractant. The plasmodial front was directed towards the source by the production and advance of lobes at the nearest point of the front, and the attenuation and withdrawal of lobes in more remote parts. Directly applied extract halted the normal reversals of protoplasmic streaming in plasmodia and induced one-way flow for up to 25 min. It also caused accumulation of protoplasm, and swelling and lengthening of the treated plasmodial strands. Benzamide, a non-volatile anaesthetic, also suppressed protoplasmic flow reversals and caused protoplasm to accumulate in swellings but did not cause chemo-taxis. Extract from one other fungus, Metarrhizium anisopliae, possessed very similar activity to Stereum extract.
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