Fig. 3
Rhodotorula taiwanensis and Aureobasidium pullulans are highly radioresistant fungi. (A) Characteristics of R. taiwanensis and A. pullulans. Both are highly radioresistant. (B) Agar plate showing streaked red R. taiwanensis. (C) Agar plate with a colony of white A. pullulans. (D) Lead shield used for irradiation experiments on an agar plate. Only the top half of the plate is exposed to irradiation. (E) Culture streak of A. pullulans protected (left) and unprotected (right) from exposure to irradiation. The right half of the culture is black due to melanin production following irradiation. (F,G) Micrographs of A. pullulans hyphae without (F, − IR) and with (G, + IR) irradiation. Melanin deposits (arrow) are visible in the hyphae. (H,I) Agar plate (H) and colony streak (I) of radiation-induced melanized A. pullulans allowed to grow without radiation. New fungal growth after irradiation is non-melanized and white (arrow heads). The colony shown in I is the same as the colony in E. Scale bar: 50 μm in (G) for (F,G).
