Summary: Germination of Syncephalastrum racemosum sporangiospores was studied in shake flask and batch fermenter cultures. In the presence of glucose, spore swelling preceded outgrowth of germ tubes; dry weight increased markedly only at the time of germ tube emergence. Glucose was essential for initiation of these events. Both swelling and germ tube emergence quickly ceased when glucose-grown cultures were shifted down to non-permissive glucose-free medium. Spore swelling was not a prerequisite for germ tube emergence. Analysis of size distributions within populations of partially germinated spores indicated that larger spores germinated first.
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