Journalof General Microbiology (1977), 98,607-610 Printed in Great Britain Variation in Lysis of Walls of Sclerotinia fructigena

Lysis of walls of filamentous fungi by micro-organisms or by enzymes obtained from micro-organisms has been studied in a number of fungi (Skujins, Potgieter & Alexander, 1965; Jones et al., 1968). Lysis of a fungus can also occur through autolysis involving its own lytic enzymes which may be located on the wall (Mitchell & Sabar, 1966; Polacheck & Rosenberger, 1975) or excreted into the medium during the autolytic phase of growth (KO & Lockwood, 1970; Reyes & Byrde, 1973). These lytic enzymes are considered to play an important role in cell growth and in both ecological and pathogenic processes. In the present communication we describe the lysis of walls of the fungus Sclerotinia fructigena of different ages by endogenous lytic enzymes and by preparations of lytic enzymes produced during autolysis of the fungus. METHODS Organism. Sclerotinia fructigena (ATCC24976) was obtained from Dr R. J. W. Byrde (Bristol). Conidia were obtained by the method of Byrde & Fielding (1968). Medium and culture conditions. Sclerotinia fructigena was grown on a mineral medium supplemented with Difco yeast extract (I g 1-l) as described by Reyes & Byrde (1973)