LIQUID CULTURE OF AGARICUS BLAZEI - II - AFFINITY FOR DISSOLVED-OXYGEN

The inoculum of a surface culture of Agaricus blazei Murr. cultured by the aeration liquid method had a very long inductive phase and slow g rowth. However this phase was shortened markedly when the mycelium sub cultured in liquid medium was used as an inoculum. The affinity of the mycelia of A. blazei for dissolved oxygen was compared with that of L entinus edodes (Berk.) Sing. and Pleurotus ostreatus (Fr.) Quel. The d ecrease in the concentration of dissolved oxygen by the mycelia of the se three species of basidiomycetes was investigated with surface, once liquid, twice liquid, and three times liquid cultures. The results we re plotted by the Terui-Konno method and the affinity index: pKm, for dissolved oxygen was calculated from the Michaelis constant: Km. The p Kms of the mycelia of surface cultures of A. blazei, L. edodes, and P. ostreatus for dissolved oxygen were about 4.1, 4.4, and 4.6, respecti vely, but that of A. blazei for dissolved oxygen increased rapidly to 4. 9 by the subculture in liquid medium. On the other hand, the pKms o f L. edodes and P. ostreatus were 4.8 and 5.2 respectively. Thus, the increase of that of A. blazei was the best among these three species o f basidiomycetes. That is, the mycelia of A. blazei adapted completely to the respiration for dissolved oxygen from the respiration for gase ous oxygen, which explained why the inductive phase and the resulting culture time were shortened markedly.