Proliferation and function of microbodies in the nematophagous fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora during growth on oleic acid or D-alanine as the sole carbon source

The nematophagous fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora is able to grow on oleic acid or D-alanine as the sole carbon source. During growth on oleic acid, activities of enzymes of the beta-oxidation pathway, but not catalase, were induced. In the presence of D-alanine, both D-amino acid oxidase and catalase activities were enhanced. Biochemically and cytochemically, the activities of the above enzymes were assigned to microbodies. The significance of these results in relation to the function of microbodies in trophic hyphae, which are formed during nematode infection, is discussed.