Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 20, 2026

Detection of Horizontal Gene Transfer Mediated by Natural Conjugative Plasmids in E. coli
06:56

Detection of Horizontal Gene Transfer Mediated by Natural Conjugative Plasmids in E. coli

Published on: March 24, 2023

6.9K

Tuberculina-rusts: a unique basidiomycetous interfungal cellular interaction with horizontal nuclear transfer

Robert Bauer1, Matthias Lutz, Franz Oberwinkler

  • 1Universität Tübingen, Lehrstuhl Spezielle Botanik und Mykologie, Auf der Morgenstelle 1, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany.

Mycologia
|December 15, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Tuberculina persicina directly fuses with rust fungi cells, transferring its organelles. This parasitic interaction involves a unique pore formation between the fungi, offering insights into mycoparasitism evolution.

Area of Science:

  • Mycology
  • Plant Pathology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Basidiomycete fungi exhibit diverse parasitic strategies.
  • Rust fungi (Puccinia and Tranzschelia) are significant plant pathogens.
  • Understanding interfungal interactions is crucial for disease management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the cellular mechanisms of Tuberculina persicina parasitism on rust fungi.
  • To analyze the structural basis of interfungal communication and nutrient transfer.
  • To explore the evolutionary origins of this unique mycoparasitic interaction.

Main Methods:

  • Serial-section electron microscopy was employed.
  • Both chemical fixation and high-pressure freezing with freeze substitution were utilized.
  • Detailed ultrastructural analysis of T. persicina and host rust cells was performed.

Main Results:

  • Tuberculina persicina acts as a contact parasite, lacking haustoria.
  • A direct fusion pore forms between T. persicina and host rust cells.
  • Nuclei and organelles are transferred from T. persicina into the rust cells through the pore.

Conclusions:

  • T. persicina establishes a direct cytoplasmic connection with its rust hosts.
  • The observed interaction suggests a potential evolutionary link to sexual processes in basidiomycetes.
  • This unique mode of parasitism provides a novel model for studying interfungal relationships.

More Related Videos

Methodology for the Study of Horizontal Gene Transfer in Staphylococcus aureus10:39

Methodology for the Study of Horizontal Gene Transfer in Staphylococcus aureus

Published on: March 10, 2017

17.3K
Nuclear Transfer into Mouse Oocytes14:17

Nuclear Transfer into Mouse Oocytes

Published on: November 29, 2006

18.4K

Related Concept Videos

Other Unique Bacteria01:18

Other Unique Bacteria

Magnetic bacteria exhibit a directed movement called magnetotaxis, driven by structures called magnetosomes. These magnetosomes consist of chains of magnetic particles made of either magnetite (Fe₃O₄) or greigite (Fe₃S₄) and are organized in a linear conformation by a protein scaffold within invaginations of the cell membrane. The bacteria align along the north–south magnetic field lines, much like a compass needle. They are typically microaerophilic or anaerobic...
423
Horizontal Gene Transfer01:27

Horizontal Gene Transfer

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a process where genetic material moves between organisms within the same generation, unlike vertical gene transfer, which occurs from parent to offspring. HGT plays a crucial role in microbial evolution, adaptation, and survival, particularly in shared environments like the human gut.Mobile genetic elements such as plasmids, prophages, integrons, insertion sequences, and transposons facilitate this process. HGT occurs through three primary mechanisms:...
1.5K
Nuclear Fusion02:45

Nuclear Fusion

The process of converting very light nuclei into heavier nuclei is also accompanied by the conversion of mass into large amounts of energy, a process called fusion. The principal source of energy in the sun is a net fusion reaction in which four hydrogen nuclei fuse and ultimately produce one helium nucleus and two positrons.
A helium nucleus has a mass that is 0.7% less than that of four hydrogen nuclei; this lost mass is converted into energy during the fusion. This reaction produces about...
33.7K
Second Uniqueness Theorem01:16

Second Uniqueness Theorem

Consider a region consisting of several individual conductors with a definite charge density in the region between these conductors. The second uniqueness theorem states that if the total charge on each conductor and the charge density in the in-between region are known, then the electric field can be uniquely determined.
In contrast, consider that the electric field is non-unique and apply Gauss's law in divergence form in the region between the conductors and the integral form to the surface...
2.6K
Nuclear Stability03:18

Nuclear Stability

Protons and neutrons, collectively called nucleons, are packed together tightly in a nucleus. With a radius of about 10−15 meters, a nucleus is quite small compared to the radius of the entire atom, which is about 10−10 meters. Nuclei are extremely dense compared to bulk matter, averaging 1.8 × 1014 grams per cubic centimeter. If the earth’s density were equal to the average nuclear density, the earth’s radius would be only about 200 meters.
To hold positively charged protons together...
22.9K
Nuclear Export of mRNA02:31

Nuclear Export of mRNA

Before mRNAs are exported to the cytoplasm, it is crucial to check each mRNA for structural and functional integrity. Eukaryotic cells use several different mechanisms, collectively known as mRNA surveillance, to look for irregularities in mRNAs. Irregular or aberrant mRNA are rapidly degraded by various enzymes. If a defective mRNA escapes the surveillance, it would be translated into a protein which would either be non-functional or not function properly. One of the primary irregularities in...
8.7K