Application of a mathematical function for a temperature optimum curve to establish differences in growth between isolates of a fungus

A function that approximates the curve of the growth rate of the mycelium of the imperfect fungusSphaeropsis sapinea in relation to temperature is proposed. This function contains three free parameters, representing maximum growth rate, optimum temperature and shape of the curve. It was applied to data from an experiment with 27 isolates, in which the growth rate was measured in two replications at ten temperatures ranging from ?2 °C to 45 °C. Fitting the function to data from each isolate in each replication resulted in estimates of three parameters in which the information about the curve contained in the ten original observations is compressed. The estimates of the optimum temperature and of the shape were used in a further statistical analysis aimed at comparing the isolates and at ascertaining whether they could be divided into a few distinct groups, possibly related to different strains. The latter proved not to be the case.