ISOENZYME ANALYSIS OF ARTHROBOTRYS, A NEMATODE-TRAPPING FUNGUS

Extraction and isoenzyme analysis of four isolates of Arthrobotrys inc luding A. musiformis, A. robusta and A. conoides were conducted. Among the 14 enzymes studied by starch gel electrophoresis, using morpholin e-citrate as gel/electrode buffer, the following nine enzymes showed i nterpretable banding patterns: alpha-esterase, fumarase, hexokinase, i socitrate dehydrogenase, leucine aminopeptidase, malate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, phosphoglucomutase and phosphogluco isomerase. All isolates studied displayed typical isoenzyme phenotypes for each species. Two isolates of A. conoides differed in their alpha -isoesterase banding patterns, but no differences were observed for th e other enzymes. The assay was satisfactory for enzyme extraction and resolution of Arthrobotrys and could be used in future taxonomic and g enetic studies of this organism.