Hyperbranching induced by cold‐shock or snow‐flake mutation in Neurospora crassa is prevented by addition of exogenous calcium

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Abstract
Hyphal tip growth is a highly polarized process of cell extension, which may be affected by chemical and physical stress. Neurospora crassa exposed to cold‐shock lost its polarized growth and dichotomous branches were detected. These effects were not observed in the presence of 500 mM Ca2+. We compared here the morphological pattern of a snow‐flake mutant (sn) and the wild‐type (wt) exposed to 4 °C. Hyphal morphology, nuclei, actin and microtubule distribution were analyzed. No effects on sn hyphal morphology were detected at 4 °C. Exogenous Ca2+ converted sn to an essentially wt appearance. The results presented here suggest that sn mutation and cold‐shock treatment have affected Ca2+ influx since addition of this cation to sn (30 °C) and to wt (4 °C) maintained polarized growth and normal nuclear and microtubules distribution.

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