ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the nutrition and survival of anaerobic fungi, together with an account of the media and methodology for working with these organisms. Evidence has accumulated since the mid-1970s that leaves little doubt about the existence and involvement of anaerobic fungi in the digestive tract of ruminants and other large mammalian herbivores. The composition of culture media used to grow anaerobic fungi is similar to that used for cultivation of rumen bacteria. Anaerobic fungi were first isolated from the ovine rumen by placing digesta solids on top of an antibiotic-containing sloppy-agar medium in anaerobic culture tubes. Anaerobic fungi grown in liquid medium require subculturing at frequent intervals in order to maintain culture viability. The low redox potential in the rumen would ensure a continuous supply of sulfide, L-cysteine, and methionine to ensure the survival of the rumen fungi.
