Continuous automatic measurement of rhythms in fungal respiration using a gas chromatograph

Abstract

The long-term measurement of aerobic fungal respiration, both on an agar medium and on wood blocks, was possible using a gas-chromatographic technique for the detection of the carbon dioxide. This method was fully automated to analyze gas samples sequentially from eight or more growth chambers, after variable but determined time periods. It provided a precise quantitative measure of the respired carbon dioxide, presented both in the form of punched computer tape and normal printed teleprinter output. This apparatus worked continuously for several years without serious breakdown.The fungi Lentinus lepideus, Lenzites trabea, Poria monticola, and several strains of Coniophora puteana all showed a rhythm in their respiration which was not controlled by temperature or light. The magnitude and frequency of the rhythmical peaks in carbon dioxide production varied between fungi and, although there was considerable variation between different isolates of the same species, the separation of these species of fungi based on their different patterns of respiration was possible.