MULTINUCLEATION IN THE CONIDIA OF POLYPLOIDS DERIVED FROM TRICHODERMA-REESEI QM-9414 BY COLCHICINE TREATMENT

Conidia of Trichoderma reesei QM 9414 were treated with colchicine in order to obtain polyploids (diploids; tetraploids), Cellulase producti on by diploids (mononucleate conidia) was almost twice as great as tha t of the original strain, but that of tetraploids (binucleate conidia) was not increased, When these latter conidia were re-treated with 2.0 % (w/v) colchicine, multiple nuclei were produced in each conidium, an d their diameter was almost the same as that of the original nucleus, Cellulase production of the diploid was almost the same in either mono nucleate or multinucleate nature. However, cellulase production by the tetraploid which produced multinucleate conidia was greater than that of the binucleate tetraploid and that of the diploid, The multinuclea tion technique can contribute to enhancing cellulase production.