

MONILIA. 213 



On the other hand, they were able to obtain preparations 

 which inverted cane sugar actively either by using the dried 

 fungus, by grinding the cells with powdered glass, by killing 

 them with acetone, or by pressing out the juice (see Chap. v.). 

 Thus the fungus contains an inverting enzyme, but it is com- 

 pletely retained by the protoplasm of the living cell. In 

 contrast with yeast invertase, Monilia invertase is insoluble 

 in water ; it does not diffuse, as yeast invertase does, through 

 the cell-wall, or through the protoplasmic lining of the cells, 

 neither does it diffuse through parchment. In this respect, 

 and in the ease with which it is decomposed, it possesses 

 characters in common with Buchner's zymase (see Chap. v.). 



According to Fischer, maltose is split up both by fresh 

 and by dried Monilia, and also by an aqueous extract of a 

 dried growth ; he, therefore, infers that Monilia contains the 

 enzyme maltase recently discovered by him in S. cerevisice. 



Fig. 41. Monilia Candida (after Hansen). Mould growths like a are frequent ; they consist 

 of chains of elongated cells, more or less thread-like, and rather loosely united ; at each joint 

 there is generally a verticil of oval cells, which readily fall off ; b represents another form, also of 

 frequent occurrence, but distinguished from the former by having no verticillate cells ; instead 

 of these there generally issues from every joint a branch of the same form as the mother cell, but 

 shorter; the links of these chains are often closely united, the constrictions in many cases 

 disappear, and a very typical mycelium, with distinct transverse septa (c) is produced ; the forms 

 b and c occur in the nutritive medium, a commonly on the surface. Forms like d have much 

 resemblance to Oidiuin lactig. t shows a train of pear-shaped cells with verticils of yeast-cells 

 resembling S. exiautm ; the chain of lemon-shaped cells represented at/closely resembles Ehren- 

 berg s figures of Oidiuin fructigenum. Between the principal forms described there are numerous 

 yeast-cells of different forms, variously arranged in colonies. 



According to Bau, Monilia also ferments dextrin formed 

 from diastase. 



As recently as 1883, Monilia Candida was the only fungus* 

 known to be capable of fermenting cane sugar, although not 

 secreting invertase. Since then Zopf, Beijerinck, Behrens, and 

 other investigators have observed this phenomenon in the case 

 of a few other micro-organisms ; they form, however, rare 

 exceptions. It forms another example of the unexpected 

 gradations that exist in nature. 



A certain amount of carbon dioxide and ethyl alcohol is 

 developed in liquids undergoing a Monilia fermentation. 



Finally, this fungus is distinguished by its power of with- 

 standing high temperatures. In beer-wort and cane-sugar 

 solutions it develops vigorously at 40 C., and induces an 

 active fermentation at this temperature. The limits of 



