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There’s a FUNGUS among us!

Mycena lux-coeli

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Historically “true fungi” Oomycetes Slime Molds

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Oomycota include the so-called

water molds and downy mildews

filamentous protists "Oomycota" means

"egg fungi," and refers to the large round oogonia, or structures containing the female gametes (as shown)

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Oomycetes feed on decaying

matter like fungi parasites on both

plants and animals root rot, blister rusts,

downy mildews, lesions on fish, farm animals, & humans

Now placed in the Kingdom Chromista

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Oomycetes: Historical Importance

Phytophthora infestans : late blight of Potato – Irish potato famine

Plasmopara viticola : downy mildew of grapes – nearly wiped out French wine industry – discovery of the first fungicide

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Slime Molds (Photographs by Michel Poulain)

life cycle that superficially resembles that of the true fungi

Now placed in the kingdom Protista

Three main groups Plasmodial Cellular Slime nets

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Plasmodial Slime Molds Basically

enormous single cells with thousands of nuclei

They are formed when individual flagellated cells swarm together and fuse

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Cellular Slime Molds Spend most of

their lives as separate single-celled amoeboid protists

Individual cells aggregate into a great swarm after release of a chemical signal

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Labyrinthulomycota little known about this group Possess a structure called a net-

plasmodium during the vegetative stage

have an organelle called a bothrosome capable of secreting a membrane outside their cells

Cause a disease of sea grasses

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What are True FUNGI?

Eukaryotic organisms Heterotrophic, lacking chlorophyll Obtain nutrients via enzyme

secretion and absorption of resulting byproducts

Cells walls containing chitin and beta glucans

Glycogen as primary food storage

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More About Fungi Can reproduce both sexually and

asexually Heterotrophic – as such can

consume almost any carbonaceous substrate including jet fuel and wall paint

Biggest role is in the recycling of dead plant material

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Relationships

More closely related to animals than to plants Emerged onto dry land about the same time as plants. Myccorhizal relationships likely date from this time as well. Four divisions One form-division

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Basidiomycete Life Cycle

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Divisions

Chytridiomycota ZygomycotaAscomycotaBasidiomycotaDueteromycota

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Chytridiomycota Aquatic Flagellated gametes Basal group in kingdom Oldest known fungal fossil found in

northern Russia – from the Devonian Period (650-543 mya)

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Zygomycota Sexual reproduction via production

of a zygospore Asexual reproduction common Occur on a wide variety of

substrates May be saprophytic or parasitic

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Ascomycota

The “Sac Fungi” Account for ca. 75% of all described

fungi Spores produced in ASCI (ascus) –

typically 8 ascospores produced Sexual reproduction female

gametangia grow toward male gametangia

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Ascomycota cont. True truffles, morels, cup fungi, most lichens Yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae – used in

baking and brewing) Chestnut Blight (Cryphonectria parasitica),

Dutch Elm Disease (ophiostoma ulmi), Pneumonia (Pneumocystis carinii)

Aspergillus flavus – produces aflatoxin (the most powerful known carcinogen and toxin)

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Basidiomycota

Gametangia not formed, nuclear material exchanged in various waysMany have clamp connectionsSpores produced on Basidia (basidium)Mushrooms (toadstools), puffballs, jelly fungi, bird nest fungi, bracket, smuts, rusts, and stinkhornsOldest known fossil from New Jersey Amber dating from the Cretaceous age (90-95 mya)

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Basidiomycota cont. Play significant role in the carbon

cycle Form ectomycorrhizal partnerships

(principally with forest trees) and symbiotic relationships

Divided into three major groups

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Clamp connection

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Fossil

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Deuteromycota

Form-group, artificial grouping Sexual reproduction stage

unknown (maybe lost) Members transferred to proper

group when sexual stage is observed

Penicillium, Aspergillus

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Lichens Symbiotic relationship between a fungal partner

and photosynthetic autotroph (typically an alga or cyanobacterium)

Fungal partners tend to be Ascomycetes Sensitive to air pollution Several forms – crustose (flat and crust-like),

foliose (leaf-like, loosely attached to the substrate), fruticose (strap shaped to cylindrical, upright or pendulous); intermediate forms common

Typically divided into 1 or more layers internally

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Lichens cont. Identification based on form, layers,

color, chemical tests, and substrate Play a significant role in nitrogen

fixation, water absorption and retention, and soil building

Are a major part of the cryptobiotic soils of desert regions

Slow growth rates – age often measured in decades or centuries

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Crustose Lichens

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Foliose Lichens

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Fruticose Lichens

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Fungal EcologySaprobe

decomposer of all terrestrial organic matter (and some aquatic matter)

Pathogenpurveyor of plant and animal

diseaseMycorrhizae

symbiosis of plant and fungus (fungi)

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Mycorrhizae The term

mycorrhiza, which literally means fungus-root

first applied to fungus-tree associations described in 1885

95% of all plant species

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Mycorrhizae Cont. Symbiotic associations that form

between the roots of most plant species and fungi

characterized by bi-directional movement of nutrients where carbon flows to the fungus and inorganic nutrients move to the plant

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HYPHAE

Twine together to form large masses called mycelium

(Some even glow in the dark, as in this Mycena)

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hyphae

septa

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Fruiting Bodies Ascocarp Basidiocarp Elegant designs

for spore dispersal

Wind dispersal Water dispersal Animal dispersal

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Basidiocarp

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Wind Dispersed

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Water Dispersed

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Fungal Structure

Pileus Stipe Hymenium surface Ascomycete -vs- Basidiomycete

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The Pileus

The mycological way of saying a cap

Yes, you will need to know the proper name

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Pileus Features

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Stipe

The mycological name for the stem

Not always present !!!

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volva annulus

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Hymenium Surface Where the sexually produced

spores are produced Different arrangements for

maximizing surface area Lamellae, pores, teeth, folds,

smooth, pitted, packaged

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Ascomycota -vs- Basidiomycota

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Photo and Text Credits Tom Volk: Boletus conferigera, Bolete pores, Dacrymyces sp., Cortinarius cortina, Hericium

coralloides, Geupeniopsis alpina, Tuber gibbosum Michael Wood: Xylaria hypoxylon, Sarcoschypha coccinea, Ramariopsis kunzei, Lenzites

betulina, Morchella sp., Amanita constricta, Nidula candida, Calbovista subsculpta, Sparassis crispa, Geopyxis vulcanalis, Amanita caesarea

Taylor Lockwood: Hydum repandum, Aluria aurantia, clamp connection Bruce McCune: Hypogymnia enteromorpha, Hydrothyria venosa Eric B. Peterson: Letharia vulpina, Esslingeriana idahoensis Anki Camacho: Omphalina umbellifera, Nodobryoria oregana Roger Roetreter: Texosporium sanci-iacobi Kathy Merrifield Usnea filipendula Mold-Help: Aspergillus niger Malloch Lab, Univ. of Toronto: Penicillium sp. U. of Wisc. Med. School: Penicillium sp. Intermountain Herbarium, U.S.U. Michael B. Piep: text and content

All photos are copy write protected by the photographer.All rights reserved.