Substrate Utilization in Selected Acremonium, Atkinsonella and Balansia Species

Growth studies were conducted on isolates of Acremonium spp., Atkinsonella hypoxylon, A. texensis, and Balansia epichloë using the sugars arabinose, fructose, glucose, sucrose, and xylose. Mycelial development and stromata formation on host plants is suggested to be in part regulated by sugar concentration. Atkinsonella hypoxylon and B. epichloë were shown to colonize wax droplets, suggesting that these species may gain some energy for stroma formation from the waxy cuticle present superficially on grass plants. Most members of the Balansieae demonstrated colonization of oil droplets and protein hydrolysis capacity, the significance of which is undetermined.