Ultraweak luminescence from germinating resting spores of Entomophthora virulenta Hall et Dunn

Abstract

Germinating resting spores of Entomophthora virulenta Hall et Dunn emit ultraweak luminescence with the intensity of the order 100 photons • s^-1 • cm^-2 in the spectral region 200-750 nm. The emission kinetics and intensity depend on vitality and incubation temperature of the spores. The higher the ability of resting spores to germinate, the more intense the luminescence. Elevation of the incubation temperature to 50°C enhances ultraweak luminescence. The activation energy was found to be about 15 kJ • mol^-1 and 5 kJ • mol^-1 for nongerminating and germinating in 50% spores, respectively. The possibility of applying ultraweak luminescence as a simple assay for the spores vitality is discussed.