STUDIES ON THE BIOSYNTHESIS OF ANTHERIDIOL

Sexual reproduction in the aquatic fungus Achlya bisexualis is governed by antheridiol, a C29 sterol, secreted by the female plant and which initiates formation of antheridial hyphae on the male plant. Tracer studies showed that naturally occurring fucosterol supplied the necessary carbon skeleton for antheridiol. Labelling and trapping studies with a series of hypothetic sterol precursors have indicated the biological sequence involved in elaboration of the antheridiol side chain.