Cerulenin inhibition of spore germination in Rhizopus stolonifer

We have used cerulenin, a known inhibitor of fatty acid synthesis, to study essential fatty acid and membrane syntheses during spore germination. Cerulenin (4 μg/ml) prevented the germination of Rhizopus stolonifer sporangiospores and this inhibition was reversed by Tween 80. Specifically, spore swelling, germ tube formation, and, probably, mitochondrial biogenesis were inhibited, whereas, during the first 2 h at least, the rates of protein and RNA syntheses and oxygen uptake remained undiminished. We conclude that de novo fatty acid synthesis is necessary for spore germination.