ABSTRACT
For genetic and physiological experiments, protoplasts from fungal spores may have certain advantages over protoplasts from mycelium. This chapter provides a survey of procedures for the isolation of protoplasts from conidiospores and to discuss their properties and some possible applications. One of the main advantages of preparing protoplasts from conidiospores is obtaining a homogeneous suspension of protoplasts with only one or with two nuclei, depending on the condition used during isolation. Protoplasts may be useful when normal vegetative structures are very insensitive to mutagenic treatment. Protoplasts may also be applied in mutant enrichment procedures. Protoplasts prepared from conidiospores have still little application in genetic and physiological studies, but the present state of affairs in the preparation of protoplasts allows rapid progress in this field. The Oerskovia lytic enzymes are as active against yeast cells as Zymolyase, especially in the case of a morphological mutant that produced nearly 100% protoplasts within 10 min.
