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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
Summary
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.
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