[Growth and sexual reproduction of the dermatophyte Arthroderma vanbreuseghemii Takashio (Trichophyton mentagrophytes (Robin blanchard) on a synthetic medium].

A synthetic medium without agar is proposed for the growth and the sexual reprpduction of the dermatophyte Arthroderma vanbreuseghemii (Trichophyton mentagrophytes). The determinations of mycelium dry weight showed that this species grew poorly with only one amino-acid as nitrogen source. A. vanbreuseghemii grew weakly on a mixture of glutamic and aspartic acid and serin. A small amount of aromatic amino-acids added to this mixture, increased the growth rate comparable to that obtained on peptone. The sexual reproduction was induced on synthetic medium with a propicious balance between carbon and nitrogen sources. Addition of 0.5 or 1g/1 of glucose to 50 mg N/1 supplied by the amino-acids mixture (including the aromatics) gave the optimal ratio. Using these conditions, many cleistothecia was produced by crossing two semi-compatible strains.