ANALYSIS OF ELECTRICAL PHENOMENA ACCOMPAN YING GROWTH OF NEUROSPORA-CRASSA HYPHAE - THEORY AND EXPERIMENT

To describe electrical phenomena observed upon growth of Neurospora cr assa hyphae, a theoretical model is developed considering the hypha as a one-dimensional electrical cable with non-uniform longitudinal dist ribution of current sources reflecting the activity of proton pumps. A profile of the density of the pump current along the hypha is propose d, at which the results of simulation quantitatively coincide with the results of physiological experiments. The model values of energy coup ling in the growth zones are estimated. The experimental dependence of the rate of regenerating apical hypha fragments elongation on their l engths is determined. Based on the comparison of these experimental re sults with the results of analysis of the model, the contribution of t he axial metabolite transport, from the distal parts of the hypha to t he apical ones, to the dynamics of the apical cell growth is estimated . The possibility of evaluating the intensity of high-molecule substan ce synthesis and/or accumulation in granules is demonstrated. We show, that the growth rate of the regenerating hypha fragments correlates w ith the electrical current flowing into the apical fragment of 0.2-mm length.