Wishful Thinking of Turgor Revisited: The Mechanics of Fungal Growth

Author: Money N.P.  

Publisher: Academic Press

ISSN: 1087-1845

Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology, Vol.21, Iss.2, 1997-04, pp. : 173-187

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Abstract

Money, N. P. 1997. Wishful thinking of turgor revisited: The mechanics of fungal growth. Fungal Genetics and Biology 21, 173-187. Does the classical model of turgor-driven expansion apply to fungal growth and morphogenesis? Experiments on hyphae and sporangiophores reveal an intimate relationship between turgor and wall compliance in the region of surface expansion. This is consistent with the idea that when cells are pressurized, the resulting tensile forces within the wall perform work in expanding the cell surface. However, the standard mechanical model does not accurately predict the growth rate of individual cells because it negates the degree to which the cell controls its own rate of wall synthesis, modifies the mechanical properties of its existing surface, and interacts with countless other factors such as nutrient availability and oxygen concentration. More startling is the observation that certain oomycete fungi can grow without measurable turgor pressure. It is argued that turgor does not play any fundamental role in determining either the rate of fungal growth or the exquisite patterns of hyphal mophogenesis.