Neurospora n : genus of fungi with black perithecia used extensively in genetic research; includes some forms with orange spore masses that cause severe damage in bakeries [syn: genus Neurospora]

Neurospora is a genus of Ascomycete fungi. The genus name, meaning "nerve spore" refers to the characteristic striations on the spores that resemble axons.

The best known species in this genus is Neurospora crassa, a common model organism in biology.

Neurospora is notable because it was used by George Wells Beadle and Edward Lawrie Tatum in X-ray mutation experiments in order to discover mutants that would differ in nutritional requirements.

The results of their experiments led them to hypothesize upon the one gene-one enzyme hypothesis, in which they postulated that every enzyme was encoded with its own gene.

Neurospora was chosen because it is quickly reproducing, is easy to culture, and was already able to survive on minimal media (inorganic salts, glucose, water and biotin in agar.

Research with Neurospora is reported semi-annually at the Neurospora Meeting at Asilomarhttp://www.fgsc.net/asilmtg.html, coordinated by the Fungal Genetics Stock Center http://www.fgsc.net. Mutant and wild-type strains of Neurospora are available from the FGSC.

The FGSC also publishes the Fungal Genetics Newsletter http://www.fgsc.net/newslet.html.

Important people in Neurospora research

• Bernard Ogilvie Dodge (1872-1960)
• George Beadle
• Edward Tatum
• David D. Perkins

External links

• Neurospora strains at the FGSC

• Neurospora genome projects

• [http://129.215.156.68/index.html Fungal Cell Biology Group] at University of Edinburgh, UK. Website includes many movies and images of Neurospora.