Fluctuation in amino-acid constituents of a developing culture of Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc. and its relation to growth.

Altogether eleven amino acids were detected in the mycelial extract of Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc. Here, with the appearance of aspartic acid and homoserine on the 5th day, growth was initiated. The maximum mycelial output, achieved by the 15th day, coincided with the detection of leucine/isoleucine and valine in the mycelial extract and of methionine in the culture filtrate. Lysine and gamma-amino-butyric acid which appeared late in the mycelium did not contribute to its growth. Tyrosine, an aromatic amino acid, was present only in the culture filtrate and not in the fungal extract. Aspartic acid, homoserine, and methionine were profusely produced in the culture filtrate during the decline of mycelial growth, suggesting that these amino acids could be fungal autolysis products as well.