Neurospora morphology

The test is used to detect forward and reverse gene mutation in Neurospora crassa, a eukaryotic fungus. These mutations are detected by biochemical or morphological changes in the treated population. The most commonly used mutation assay in Neurospora crassa measures forward mutation in the ad-3 region of the genome. 

At Rockefeller University, I also had the opportunity to know Professor Prank H. Pield, director of the mass spectrometry laboratory. Earlier, Dr. Pield, in collaboration with Joe Pranklin, had developed the first ionization technique for mass spectrometry. Dr. Pield was helping Professor Tatum with the identification of chemical(s) emitted into the gas phase by a slow-growing morphological mutant of Neurospora. An exposure of this gaseous emission to the wild-type strain made it grow slowly like the mutant. This chemical, however, remained elusive to identification by mass spectrometry. 

Brody, S., and Tatum, E. L. (1966). The primary biochemical effect of a morphological mutation in Neurospora crassa. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sd. V.S. 56, 1290-1297. 

Brody, S., and Tatum, K. L. (1967). Fhosphoglucomutase mutants and morphological changes in Neurospora crassa. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S. 58, 923-030. Diacumakos, E., Garnjobst, L., and Tatum, E. L. (1965). A cytoplasmic character in Neurospora crassa. The role of nuclei and mitocdiondria. /. Cell Biol. 26, 427-443. 

Mahadevan, P. R., and Tatum, E. L. (1965). Relationship of the major constituents of the Neurospora crassa cell wall to wild-type and colonial morphology. 7. Bacterial. 90, 1073-1081. 

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