fungal tip growth model Fungal Tip Growth Characterization of cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ has identified at least two mechanisms associated with the process of hyphal growth. One involves Ca²⁺ influx at the growing tip (Saprolegnia). The other involves internal generation of a tip-high Ca²⁺ gradient (Neurospora). In both cases, a tip-high Ca²⁺ gradient is required for hyphal growth. Our most recent model of Ca²⁺ regulation and ion transport during Neurospora hyphal growth is shown. We are now exploring the role of turgor in hyphal tip growth. Movie of Neurospora crassa tip growth [22.4 MB .mov format] [12.4 MB .mp4 format]

Publications

Lew RR (2019) Biomechanics of hyphal growth. The Mycota. Volume VIII: Biology of the Fungal Cell (3rd edition). Edited by Hoffmeister D and Gressler M. pages 83-94 [pdf].

Lew RR (2018) Nano-engineering pollination (commentary). New Phytologist. 220:8-9. doi:10.1111/nph.15358. [pubmed]

Lew RR, RE Giblon, MSH Lorenti (2015) The phenotype of a phospholipase C (plc-1) mutant in a filamentous fungus, Neurospora crassa. Fungal Genetics and Biology. 82:158-167. [pubmed]

Abadeh A, RR Lew (2013) Mass flow and velocity profiles in Neurospora hyphae: partial plug flow dominates intra-hyphal transport. Microbiology (SGM). 159:2386-2394. [pubmed]

Hamam A, RR Lew (2012) The electrical phenotypes of calcium transport mutants in a filamentous fungus, Neurospora crassa. Eukaryotic Cell. 11:694-702. [pubmed]

Lew RR (2011) How does a hypha grow? The biophysics of pressurized growth in fungi. Nature Reviews Microbiology. 9:509-518. [pubmed]

Image: Mitochondria and chlortetracyline imaging in a growing hyphal tip.

Riquelme M, O Yarden, S Bartnicki-Garcia, B Bowman, E Castro-Longoria, SJ Free, A Fleißner, M Freitag, RR Lew, R Mouriño-Pérez, M Plamann, C Rasmussen, C Richthammer, RW Roberson, E Sanchez-Leon, S Seiler, MK Watters (2011) Architecture and development of the Neurospora crassa hyphae -- a model cell for polarized growth. Fungal Biology. 115:446-474. [pubmed]

Cavinder B, A Hamam, RR Lew, F Trail (2011) Mid1, a mechanosensitive calcium ion channel, affects growth, development and ascospore discharge in the filamentous fungus Gibberella zeae. Eukaryotic Cell 10:832-841. (Cavinder performed the majority of the research in Trail's lab. Hamam and Lew performed the electrophysiological characterization.) [pubmed]

Lew RR (2010) Turgor and net ion flux responses to activation of the osmotic MAP kinase cascade by fludioxonil in the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa. Fungal Genetics and Biology. 47:721-726. [pubmed]

Lew RR, V Kapishon (2009) Ptk2 contributes to osmoadaptation in the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa. Fungal Genetics and Biology. 46:949-955. [pubmed]

Lew RR, S Nasserifar (2009) Transient responses during hyperosmotic shock in the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa. Microbiology (SGM). 155:903-911. [pubmed]
hyphal shrinkage in response to hyperosmotic treatment, and subsequent recovery [447 kB .mov format] [161 kB .mp4 format]
Lew RR, Z Abbas, MI Anderca, SJ Free (2008) Phenotype of a mechanosensitive channel mutant, mid-1, in a filamentous fungus, Neurospora crassa. Eukaryotic Cell. 7:647-655. [pubmed]
animated gif of wildtype response to a micropipette barrier [231 kB .gif format]
animated gif of mid-1 mutant response to a micropipette barrier [283 kB .gif format]
Lew RR (2007) Ionic currents and ion fluxes in Neurospora crassa hyphae. Journal of Experimental Botany. 58:3475-3481. [pubmed]

Lew RR, NN Levina (2007) Turgor regulation in the osmosensitive cut mutant of Neurospora crassa. Microbiology (SGM). 153:1530-1537. [pubmed]

Lew RR, NN Levina, L Shabala, MI Anderca, and SN Shabala (2006) Role of a mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade in ion flux-mediated turgor regulation in fungi. Eukaryotic Cell. 5:480-487. [pubmed]

Levina NN and RR Lew (2006) The role of tip-localized mitochondria in hyphal growth. Fungal Genetics and Biology. 43:65-74. [pubmed]
rhodamine123-labelled mitochondria and brightfield movie of hyphal growth (7.6 MB .mov format) (9.3 MB .mp4 format)
pseudocolor merge of mitochondria and bright-field imaging (7.6 MB .mov format) (5.6 MB .mp4 format)
Lew RR (2005) Mass flow and pressure-driven hyphal extension in Neurospora crassa. Microbiology (SGM). 151:2685-2692. [pubmed]
hyphal trunk mass flow movie [14.4 MB, .avi format] [0.6 MB, .mp4 format]
Lew RR, NN Levina, SK Walker and A Garrill (2004) Turgor regulation in hyphal organisms. Fungal Genetics and Biology. 41:1007-1015. [pubmed]

Lew RR and NN Levina (2004) Oxygen flux magnitude and location along growing hyphae of Neurospora crassa. FEMS Microbiology Letters. 233:125-130. [pubmed]
oxygen flux measurement at growing tip [8.4 MB .mov format] [3.4 MB .mp4 format]
Sampson K, RR Lew and IB Heath (2003) Time series analysis demonstrates the absence of pulsatile hyphal growth. Microbiology (SGM). 149:3111-3119. [pubmed]
Saprolegnia tip growth movie [1.7 MB .mov format] [1.7 MB .mp4 format]
Silverman-Gavrila LB and RR Lew (2003) Calcium gradient dependence of Neurospora crassa hyphal growth. Microbiology (SGM). 149:2475-2485. [pubmed]

Silverman-Gavrila LB and RR Lew (2002) An IP₃-activated Ca²⁺ channel regulates fungal tip growth. Journal of Cell Science. 115:5013-5025. [pubmed]

Silverman-Gavrila LB and RR Lew (2001) Regulation of the tip-high [Ca²⁺] gradient in growing hyphae of the fungus Neurospora crassa. European Journal of Cell Biology. 80:379-390. [pubmed]

Bok JW, LB Silverman-Gavrila, RR Lew, T Sone, FJ Bowring, DEA Catchside and AJF Griffiths (2001) Structure and function analysis of the calcium-related gene spray in Neurospora crassa. Fungal Genetics and Biology. 32:145-158. [pubmed]

Levina NN, IB Heath and RR Lew (2000) Rapid wound responses ofSaprolegnia ferax hyphae depend upon actin and Ca²⁺-involving deposition of callose plugs. Protoplasma. 214:199-209. [abstract]

Silverman-Gavrila LB and RR Lew (2000) Calcium and tip growth in Neurospora crassa. Protoplasma. 213: 203-217. [abstract]

Degousee N, GD Gupta, RR Lew and IB Heath (2000) A putative spectrin-containing membrane skeleton in hyphal tips of Neurospora crassa. Fungal Genetics and Biology. 30:33-44. [pubmed]

Lew RR (1999) Comparative analysis of Ca²⁺ and H⁺ flux magnitude and location along growing hyphae of Saprolegnia ferax and Neurospora crassa. European Journal of Cell Biology. 78:892-902. [pubmed]

Lew RR (1998) Mapping fungal ion channel distributions. Fungal Genetics and Biology. (invited review) 24:69-76. [pubmed]

Levina, NN, RR Lew, GJ Hyde and IB Heath (1995) The roles of calcium ions and plasma membrane ion channels in hyphal tip growth of Neurospora crassa. Journal of Cell Science. 108:3405-3417. [pubmed]

Levina NN, RR Lew and IB Heath (1994) Cytoskeletal regulation of ion channel distribution in the tip-growing organism Saprolegnia ferax. Journal of Cell Science. 107:127-134. [pubmed]

Garrill A, SL Jackson, RR Lew and IB Heath (1993) Ion channel activity and tip growth: tip-localized, stretch-activated channels generate a Ca²⁺ gradient that is required for tip growth in the oomycete Saprolegnia ferax. European Journal of Cell Biology. 60:358-365. [pubmed]

Garrill A, RR Lew and IB Heath (1992) Stretch-activated Ca²⁺ and Ca²⁺-activated K⁺ channels in the hyphal tip plasma membrane of the oomycete Saprolegnia ferax. Journal of Cell Science. 101:721-730. [JCS summary]

Garrill A, RR Lew and IB Heath (1992) A mechanosensitive ion channel in the fungus Uromyces (technical comment). Science 256:1335-1336. [Science --first page]

Lew RR (1989) Calcium activates an electrogenic proton pump in Neurospora plasma membrane. Plant Physiology. 91:213-216. [pubmed]