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Appressorium: The Breakthrough in Dikarya.

Alexander Demoor¹, Philippe Silar¹, Sylvain Brun²

¹Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire des Energies de Demain, LIED-UMR 8236, Université de Paris, 5 rue Marie-Andree Lagroua, 75205 Paris, France.

Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland)

|August 7, 2019

Summary

Many saprotrophic fungi, including most Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, can form appressoria to penetrate dead plant matter. This ability was not observed in Mucoromycotina, challenging previous assumptions about appressorium evolution in fungi.

Keywords:

Eumycetes appressorium biomass degradation cellophane infection cushion penetration saprotrophic fungi

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Area of Science:

Mycology
Evolutionary Biology
Plant Pathology

Background:

Appressoria are specialized structures used by pathogenic and mycorrhizal fungi to penetrate living hosts.
The ability of saprotrophic fungi to form appressoria for degrading dead plant biomass is poorly understood.
Previous research identified appressorium formation in saprotrophs only in the model fungus *Podospora anserina*.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the capacity of diverse saprotrophic fungi to differentiate appressoria.
To determine the phylogenetic distribution of appressorium formation in saprotrophic fungi.
To explore the evolutionary implications of appressorium formation in saprotrophs.

Main Methods:

Culturing a wide range of saprotrophic fungal taxa on cellophane.
Microscopic observation and documentation of appressorium formation.
Phylogenetic analysis of fungal groups exhibiting or lacking appressorium formation.

Main Results:

Most tested saprotrophic fungi from the Ascomycota and Basidiomycota phyla successfully formed appressoria on cellophane.
None of the investigated Mucoromycotina species demonstrated the ability to differentiate appressoria.
Appressorium formation is more widespread in saprotrophic fungi than previously thought.

Conclusions:

The ability to form appressoria is not exclusive to pathogenic or mutualistic fungi.
The findings suggest a broader role for appressoria in fungal decomposition of plant biomass.
This study prompts re-evaluation of the evolutionary origins and diversification of appressoria within Eumycetes.