Fungal Diversity

BIOL 1407

Fungal Classification

• Traditionally based on:– Sexual spore-

producing structures

– Hyphal characteristics

• Molecular evidence

Deuteromycota ≠ Clade

• Imperfect Fungi• In past, could not

classify• No sexual structures

produced• Molecular data

should do away with this informal group

Chytridiomycota

• Chytrids• Basal group• Unicellular to

simple mycelium-forming

• Photo Credit of distinctive two-part rhizoid system of Cladochytrium, 2001, D. J. Patterson and Mark Farmer @ tolweb.org/Chytridiomycota/20517

Chytrids

• Flagellated spores• Mostly aquatic• Only modern fungal

group with flagella

Zygomycota

• Coenocytic hyphae• Ex: Rhizopus,

Pilobolus, Arthrobotrys

• Video Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KoKDCwJOJQ&feature=related

• Another view for fun: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrKJAojmB1Y

Zygomycota

• “Zygote Fungi”• Sexual spore-

producing structure: Zygosporangium

Zygomycota

• In zygosporangium:– Heterokaryon– Karyogamy– Diploid zygote– Meiosis

Zygomycota

• Asexual spore-producing structure: Sporangium

Glomerulomycota

• Endomycorrhizae• Arbuscules within

plant root cells

Ascomycota

• Septate hyphae with pores

• Examples: Penicillium, Aspergillus, Neurospora, Saccharomyces

Ascomycota

• Sexual spore-producing structure: Ascocarp

• Ascocarp is only dikaryotic structure

• “Sac Fungi”

Ascomycota

• Ascus– Karyogamy– Diploid

zygote– Meiosis

• Eight ascospores

Ascomycota

• Asexual spore-producing structure: Conidia

Morels

Truffles

Cup Fungi

Pixie Cups, Geopyxis carbonaria Photo Credit: Courtesy of Dr. Tom Volk, http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/jun2005.html

Basidiomycota

• Septate hyphae with capped pores

• Long-lived dikaryotic mycelium

• Examples: Mushroom, rusts, smuts

Basidiomycota

• Sexual spore-producing structure: Basidiocarp

• Photo Credit: Betsy Maxim, 2008

Basidiomycota

• Basidia “Club Fungi”• Basidiospores

Basidiomycota

• Basidia– Karyogamy– Diploid Zygote– Meiosis

• Four basidiospores

Basidiomycota

• Asexual spore-producing structure: Rare

• Only a few produce conidia

• Most rely exclusively on basidiocarps

• Photo Credit: Ernst Haeckel, Plate 63, from Kunstformen der Natur (1904), Wikimedia Commons

Puffballs and Earth Stars

Shelf Fungus

Jelly Fungus

Maiden Veil Fungus

Question?

Question?

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Dr. Tom Volk, http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/sept98.html

The End

Unless otherwise specified, all images in this presentation came from:Campbell, et al. 2008. Biology, 8th ed. Pearson Benjamin Cummings.