Uptake and binding of dodine acetate by fungal spores

SUMMARY Uptake of the dodine cation from acetate solutions by conidia of Alternaria tenuis and Neurospora crassa was characterized by a rapid rate of sorption, a ‘Langmuir type’ adsorption isotherm, and independence of temperature: all of which suggests an ionic bonding mechanism. Metal cations competed with dodine for the anionic binding sites of the cell—regarded as carboxyl and phosphate groups—and dodine uptake also decreased as ionization of the carboxyl group was suppressed. Cell walls of A. tenuis had a greater capacity to bind dodine than did those of N. crassa. Binding at the cell wall may detoxify some of the large amount of dodine that must be accumulated by the spores to achieve toxicity. The dodine retained by N. crassa cell walls could not be exchanged or desorbed by washing and is probably bound covalently rather than by weaker ionic bonds. At sub‐lethal concentrations there was no evidence that dodine disorganized cell wall structure. Disruption of spores which had been incubated with 14 C‐labelled dodine showed the fungicide to be associated with intra‐cytoplasmic organelles. It is suggested that dodine reacts with the protoplast membrane so as to alter its permeability and allow more dodine to penetrate into the cytoplasm where it may destroy intracellular membrane structure.