AMINO ACID ANALYSIS OF FRESH LEAF LITTER AND THE NITROGEN NUTRITION OF SOME AQUATIC HYPHOMYCETES
An alcohol extract of amino acids was made from fresh leaf litter of five common trees. The amino acids isoleucine, tyrosine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, and serine were detected chromatographically. Several aquatic Hyphomycetes were then grown in the presence of aspartic acid, lysine, glutamic acid, tyrosine, arginine, and casein. Apart from Volucrispora aurantiaca, the carbon of all amino acids except lysine was found to be available for metabolism. The nitrogen of all amino acids was also available, except that V. aurantiaca could utilize only arginine, asparagine, and to a lesser degree, lysine. It is concluded that a wide range of amino acids and probably of plant proteins in general can supply available nitrogen to many aquatic Hyphomycetes.