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Fungus propagules in plastids: the mycosome hypothesis

Peter R Atsatt1

  • 1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-2525, USA. pratsatt@uci.edu

International Microbiology : the Official Journal of the Spanish Society for Microbiology
|May 6, 2003
PubMed

Insights

A stress-induced "mycosome" phase in fungi, consisting of minute reproductive propagules, has been identified. These fungal propagules reproduce within plant plastids and exhibit diverse developmental pathways, offering new insights into fungal biology.

Area of Science:

  • Mycology
  • Plant Pathology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Fungal life cycles often involve complex developmental stages.
  • The fungus Aureobasidium pullulans is known for its adaptability to various environments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe a novel, stress-induced
  • mycosome
  • phase in Aureobasidium pullulans.
  • To investigate the reproductive mechanisms and developmental pathways of these fungal propagules.

Main Methods:

  • Light and electron microscopy were employed to detect and characterize mycosomes.
  • Observation of mycosomes within senescent plant plastids.

Main Results:

  • A stress-induced
  • mycosome
  • phase of Aureobasidium pullulans was identified, comprising minute reproductive propagules.
  • Mycosomes reproduce within senescent plant plastids.
  • Three developmental pathways were observed: wall-less cells (protoplasts), yeast cells, and membrane-bounded spherules containing plastids.
  • Mycosomes are produced by both ascomycete and basidiomycete fungi and are widespread in plant and algal cells.

Conclusions:

  • The discovery of the mycosome phase provides a new perspective on fungal reproduction and adaptation under stress.
  • Mycosomes represent a significant, previously under-recognized fungal developmental stage with implications for plant-fungal interactions.

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