It is my understanding that the sclerotia will only form in dry and nutrient limiting conditions, but as mentioned above in terms of adverse conditions such as the high osmotic difference this may encourage formation. I'd be surprised though; you're most likely just to find regular ascocarp development.
This is from a fungi 201 style course at Kansas State University, in pdf form. Well done and humourous (check out the Discomycetes). It discuses the life cycle Of C. purpurea
http://courses.ksu.edu/fall2002/BIOL/BIOL604/Lectures/PDFs/Lect09.pdf
Here's an assortment of references that may be worth checking out, at least one journal is Russian but I believe the guys in the Hyperlab might be able to help out with that. A couple are german, I believe there are several bees who may be able to access and translate those. Apologies about the lack of links and associated articles, but my school only carries so many online journals and most date back only a few years.
Extracellular metabolism of sucrose in a submerged culture of Claviceps purpurea: formation of monosaccharides and clavine alkaloids
AU: Kren,-Vladimir; Pazoutova,-Sylva; Rylko,-Viktor
SO: Applied and Environmental Microbiology v 48 Oct 1984. p. 826-9
PY: 1984
LA: English
DE: Ergot-; Metabolism-Carbohydrates; Fungi-Metabolism; Mycology-Cultures-and-culture-media
DT: Feature-Article
Stereochemistry of the isoprenylation of tryptophan catalyzed by 4-(c,c-dimethylallyl)tryptophan synthase from Claviceps, the first pathway-specific enzyme in ergot alkaloid biosynthesis
AU: Shibuya,-M; Chou,-H.-M; Fountoulakis,-M
SO: Journal of the American Chemical Society v 112 Jan 3 1990. p. 297-304
PY: 1990
LA: English
Title: Optimization of conditions for storage and cultivation of the fungus Claviceps sp., a producer of the ergot alkaloid agroclavine.
Author, Editor, Inventor: Boichenko-L-V {a}; Zelenkova-N-F {a}; Arinbasarov-M-U {a}; Reshetilova-T-A {a}
Author Address: {a} Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow Oblast, 142290, Russia; E-Mail: arin@ibpm.serpukhov.su, Russia
Source: Prikladnaya-Biokhimiya-i-Mikrobiologiya. [print] May-July 2003 2003; 39 (3): 335-340.
Publication Year: 2003
Document Type: Article-
ISSN (International Standard Serial Number): 0555-1099
Language: Russian; Non-English
Abstract: Conditions of agroclavine biosynthesis by the mutant Claviceps sp. strain s 106 were studied. The content of agroclavine was maximum (1.5-2 g/l) on days 15-16 of cultivation in the complex medium T25, containing sucrose, citric acid, and yeast extract. Agroclavine was the major component of the alkaloid fraction (90-95%). Storage of the culture at -70degreeC in T25 supplemented by 7% glycerol provided a stable level of alkaloid formation.
DE: Ergot-; Tryptophan-; Isoprenoid-compounds; Alkaloids-
Boll Chim Farm. 2003 May;142(4):187-90. Related Articles, Links
Better biosynthesis of ergot alkaloids.
Okide GB, Ajali U.
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Nigeria, Nsukka-Nigeria.
Different culture media containing different effectors for production of ergot-alkaloids were prepared. The culture media were inoculated with equal mycelia of Claviceps purpurea and some were incubated for 22 days and some incubated for 45 days. The medium that contained a mixture of glucose, glycine and tryptophan showed highest yield of the alkaloids and reached the maximum period for production of agroclavine faster.
Adv Biochem Eng Biotechnol. 2000;68:1-20. Related Articles, Links
Progress and prospects of ergot alkaloid research.
Mukherjee J, Menge M.
Institut fur Technische Chemie, Universitat Hannover, Germany. mukherjee@mbox.iftc.uni-hannover.de
Ergot alkaloids, produced by the plant parasitic fungi Claviceps purpurea are important pharmaceuticals. The chemistry, biosynthesis, bioconversions, physiological controls, and biochemistry have been extensively reviewed by earlier authors. We present here the research done on the organic synthesis of the ergot alkaloids during the past two decades. Our aim is to apply this knowledge to the synthesis of novel synthons and thus obtain new molecules by directed biosynthesis. The synthesis of clavine alkaloids, lysergic acid derivatives, the use of tryptophan as the starting material, the chemistry of 1,3,4,5-tetrahydrobenzo[cd]indoles, and the structure activity relationships for ergot alkaloids have been discussed. Recent advances in the molecular biology and enzymology of the fungus are also mentioned. Application of oxygen vectors and mathematical modeling in the large scale production of the alkaloids are also discussed. Finally, the review gives an overview of the use of modern analytical methods such as capillary electrophoresis and two-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy.
Publication Types:
Review
Review, Academic
PMID: 11036684 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2001 May;55(4):411-6. Related Articles, Links
Application of oxygen vectors to Claviceps purpurea cultivation.
Menge M, Mukherjee J, Scheper T.
Institut fur Technische Chemie der Universitat Hannover, Germany.
The application of a two-phase fermentation system for the production of ergot peptide alkaloids by Claviceps purpurea is described. Perfluorocarbons (PFC) are used as oxygen vectors in Claviceps fermentation for the first time. In shake-flask cultivations, the inclusion of PFC in the medium brings about a five-fold increase in the total alkaloid production and a six-fold increase in the pharmaceutically important component, ergotamine. This rise cannot be correlated with the concentration of the added PFC and it is thought that the enhancement is due to a combination of factors, including the influence of PFC. Other oxygen vectors, such as several hydrocarbons, prove to be poor oxygen carriers in our study. Cultivations with PFC in a bioreactor are reproducible, the maximum total alkaloid and ergotamine production being attained on the 11th and 9th days, respectively. The relatively lower increase in the total alkaloid production in the bioreactor as compared to the shake-flasks is attributed to the unequal oxygen availability in the reactor. Processes with PFC offer the operational advantage of a five-fold reduction in aeration rate.
PMID: 11398919 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]