SOIL FUNGI 267 



form of ammonia. 111 In general, fungi play an important part in the 

 mineralization of the organic matter, whereby the nitrogen compounds 

 and minerals are liberated in inorganic forms; a part of these is used by 

 the fungi for the synthesis of fungus proteins. 



Miintz and Coudon 112 and Marchal 113 pointed out, in 1893, the abun- 

 dant formation of ammonia by fungi, the latter even ascribed the 

 ammonia production in soils (particularly acid soils) chiefly to the ac- 

 tion of fungi. The decomposition of proteins with the formation of 

 amino acids and ammonia has been pointed out by Kosyachenko and 

 others. 114 Cyanamide is decomposed, with the formation of ammonia, 115 

 as are urea, uric acid, and glycocoll. 116 According to McLean and 

 Wilson, 117 filamentous fungi are capable of producing a greater accumu- 

 lation of ammonia from proteins than bacteria. All the organisms 

 studied, including representatives of the families of Mucoraceae, Asper- 

 gillaceae, Moniliaceae and Dematiaceae, were found to be capable of 

 producing ammonia from dried blood and from cottonseed meal. The 

 Moniliaceae were most active. In 8 to 10 days, Trichoderma koningi 

 liberated as ammonia over half of the nitrogen in dried blood (1 per 

 cent in sterile soil). The Aspergillaceae formed the least amounts of 

 ammonia from proteins. The addition of soluble phosphate stimulated 

 in most cases the amount of ammonia accumulated. Most fungi were 

 capable of allowing greater accumulations of ammonia from dried blood 

 than from cottonseed meal. This is probably due to the fact that the 

 latter is richer in available carbon compounds, which will allow a 

 greater synthesis of fungus proteins with the decomposition of propor- 

 tionally less protein of the cottonseed meal. 



Utilization of nitrogen compounds by fungi. Soil fungi may assimilate 



111 Waksman, S. A. The influence of available carbohydrates upon ammonia 

 accumulation by microorganisms. Jour. Amer. Chem. Soc, 39: 1503-1512. 

 1917. 



112 Miintz, A., and Coudon, H. La fermentation ammoniacale de la terre. 

 Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci., 116: 395-398. 1893. 



113 Marchal, E. Sur la production de l'ammoniaque dans le sol par les mi- 

 crobes. Bui. Acad. Roy. Sci. Belg., 25: 727-771. 1893. 



114 Kosyachenko, I. S. The influence of A. niger on the transformation of albu- 

 minoids in peas. Zhur. Opitn. Agron., 4: 439-449. 1903. 



115 Kappen, H. Uber die Zersetzung des Cyanamids durch Pilze. Centrbl. 

 Bakt. II, 26: 633-643. 1910. 



116 Kossovicz, A. Die Zersetzung von Harnstoff, Harnsiiure, Hippursaure 

 und Glykokoll durch Schimmelpilze. Ztschr. Garungsphysiol., 1: 60. 1912. 



117 McLean and Wilson, 1914 (p. 259). 



