Fungi

Fungi
What is a fungi?

• Fungi were once classified as plants, due to the

fact that they are decomposers, pathogens and
plant benefactors.

• Like plants they were believed to be

monophyletic but derived from a algal ancestor
that had lost its ability to photosynthesize.
 Characteristics of Fungi
- Eukaryotic
- Range from a single cell to very large species.
- Approximately 72,000sp
- Heterotrophic
- Aerobic except yeast which is capable of fermentation.
- May be found in stable symbiotic relationship such as
lichens and mycorrhizae.
- They affect human health and the environment.
- They are beneficially to plants but may have adverse
effects via fungal plant pathogens
- They are vital in the recycling of nutrients, and in
industrial processes.
 Characteristics cont.
Unique Characteristics:
• Fungi typically grow as hyphae, which extends
at their tips.
• Hyphae are long threadlike structures that
entwine together into a mass known as a
mycelium (have a large surface area).

• Some fungi grows as single-celled yeast which

reproduce by budding
STRUCTURE

• Mycelium: The collective,

filamentous strands that make
up the fungal thallus.

• Highly branched to increase

surface area for absorption .
 STRUCTURE CONT.
• Strands of mycelium is referred to as
hyphae (sing.=hypha). Mycelium may be of
two types:
(a) Septate
• Mycelium that is divided into discreet cells
by cell walls that are laid down at regular
intervals along the length of the mycelium.
(b) Coenocytic
• Mycelium that is not divided up by septa
and forms a continuous tubular network.
 Hyphal growth from spore

germinating
spore

mycelium

• Mycelia have a huge surface

area
Modifications of hyphae
 Classification
• Domain : Eukarya
Kingdom: Myceteae
(=Fungi)

• 1. Division:
Chytridiomycota
• 2. Division: Zygomycota
• 3. Division: Ascomycota
• 4. Division:
Basidiomycota
• 5. Division:
"Deuteromycota"
(Asexual Fungi)
 Taxonomic Diversity of Fungi
1. Motile Fungi-include slime molds such as :
(a) myxomycetes (which have amoeba like stages that engulf microbes and
fungal spores.
(b) Oomycetes (can swim through water films or aquatic habitats propelled by
one or more flagella)
2. Zygomycota-includes the Zygomycetes ie. Rhizopus, Trichomycetes, which
are microscopic gut symbionts of insects and the Arbuscular mycorrhizal
fungi
3. Ascomycetes-characterized as fungi that reproduce sexually by acus
including yeast and molds.
(a) Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has adopted to unicellular life in a liquid
environment.
(b) Molds – Aspergillus and Penicillium
4. Basiodiomycetes- characterized by macroscopic fruiting bodies known as
mushrooms or puffballs. They are primary agents of lignin degradation.
 Chytridiomycota – “chytrids”
• Simple fungi
• Produce motile spores -
zoospores
• Mostly saprobes and
parasites in aquatic habitats
• Could just as well be Protists

Chytridium growing on spores

Chytriomyces growing on pine pollen

 Zygomycota – “zygote fungi”
Rhizopus on strawberries

• Sexual Reproduction -
zygosporangia
• Asexual reprod. – common
(sporangia – bags of asexual
spores)
• Hyphae have no cross walls
• Grow rapidly
• Decomposers, pathogens,
and some form mycorrhizal
associations with plants

Rhinocerebral zygomycosis
 Ascomycota – “sac fungi”
• Sexual Reproduction – asci
(sing. = ascus)

• Asex. Reprod. – common

• Cup fungi, morels, truffles
• Important plant parasites &
saprobes

• Yeast - Saccharomyces
• Decomposers, pathogens,
and found in most lichens

A cluster of asci with spores inside

 Basidiomycota – “club fungi”
• Sexual Reproduction – basidia

• Asexual reprod – not so common

• Long-lived dikaryotic mycelia

• Rusts & smuts –plant parasites

• Mushrooms, polypores, puffballs,

boletes, bird’s nest fungi

• Enzymes decompose wood,

leaves, and other organic materials

• Decomposers, pathogens, and SEM of basidia and spores

some form mycorrhizal
associations with plants
 Some fungi have more than one
scientific name – Why?
• Teleomorph: the sexual reproductive stage
(morph), typically a fruiting body (e.g., Morchella
esculenta, Agaricus brunescens).
• Anamorph: an asexual reproductive stage
(morph), often mold-like (e.g. Aspergillus flavus,
Fusarium solani.
• Holomorph: the whole fungus, including all
anamorphs and the teleomorph.
 FUNGAL CELL
1. The outer most region of a fungal cell is the glycocalyx-
- Function: protection, surface attachment and signal reception from the
environment.
2. The cell wall consist of a thick inner layer of chitin and cellulose and a
thinner outer layer of glycoproteins.
Function: protection from lysing agents, allow scientist to be able to extract
only bacterial DNA from soils.
3. lining the cell wall is the cytoplasmic membrane
4. The cell also consist of several membrane bound organelles such as the
mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, golgi apparatus and nucleus.
 WHERE DO FUNGI LIVE?
• damp areas

• They can be found nearly

everywhere- woods, parks, gardens,
mountain tops, roots of trees, your
bathroom walls (mould), on top of
your fruits (green and dusty)

• Inside of plants causing Dutch Elm

Disease

• On animals ie. Athletes foot in

humans caused by ascomycete fungi
Fungi as Saprobes and
Decomposers
Fungi as Symbionts (Mutualism)
 Mode of Nutrition
Absorption: The transport of food from their substrate into their cell walls.

3 modes of nutrition: saprophytic, parasitic, symbiotic

(i) Heterotrophy- Saprophytic Fungi

- feed on the dead remains of plants or animals, or on the waste materials
(such as dung) of other living things. These fungi help to get rid of
organic waste. Feed by absorption. Hyphal tips release enzymes---
enzyme break down substrate---product diffuse back in hyphae

(ii) parasitic fungi

- feed on other organisms while they are still alive causing serious
damage to trees and other plants. Eg athelete’s foot , ringworm, dry rot
fungi

(iii) Symbiotic Fungi

• mycorrhiza. Mutualism between: Fungus (nutrient & water uptake for plant and Plant
(carbohydrate for fungus)
• Several kinds ( Zygomycota – hyphae invade root cells, Ascomycota & Basidiomycota – hyphae
invade root but don’t penetrate cells)
- Lichen
 Lichen internal structure

Lichens are nature’s biological

monitors of pollution and air quality
•Thalli act like sponges
•Some species more sensitive to
pollution
•Which species are present can
indicate air quality
•Most resistant species can also
be analyzed for pollutants, Lobaria
including bioaccumulation of
heavy metals and radioactive
isotopes
 Fungi are Spore producers!
• Spores - asexual (product of
mitosis) or sexual (product of
meiosis) in origin.
• Purpose of Spores
– Allows the fungus to move to
new food source.
– Resistant stage - allows fungus
to survive periods of adversity.
– Means of introducing new
genetic combinations into a
population
 Reproduce by spores
• Spores are reproductive cells
– Sexual (meiotic in origin)
– Asexual (mitotic in origin)
• Formed:
– Directly on hyphae
– Inside sporangia
– Fruiting bodies

Penicillium
hyphae with
Pilobolus sporangia conidia
Amanita fruiting body
Mode of Reproduction
• Either sexual or asexual reproduction or both
may occur by spores.

• When fungi reproduce sexually, the male and

female cells fuse, to produce spores inside a
"fruiting body" such as a mushroom.

• Spores are tiny cells inside a protective coating,

which grow into new Fungi.
• The sexual life cycle involves:
• cell fusion, plasmogamy
• nuclear fusion, karyogamy
Generalized Life Cycle of a Fungus
 Biodiversity and Uses
• about 12,000 species have been recorded
giving a ratio of about 6 fungi to each plant
species.
USES:
• (1) food
• (2) industrial processes ie. Bread making
• (3) medicines
• (4) decomposition
• (5) mycorrhizal association
Mucocutaneous candidiasis – colonization of the mucous
membranes
Cause: Candida albicans
– Dimorphic fungus
– Grows as yeast or pseudohyphae
– Spread by contact; often part of normal flora
– Opportunistic infections common
– Vulvovaginitis
– Oral candidiasis (thrush)
– Intestinal candidiasis
 SUBCUTANEOUS MYCOSES
Localized primary infections of subcutaneous tissue:
•Can cause the development of cysts and granulomas.
•Provoke an innate immune response - eosinophilia.

There are several types:

•Sporotrichosis – traumatic implantation of fungal
organisms
•Paranasal conidiobolae mycoses – infection of the
paranasal sinuses
•Causes the formation of granulomas.
•Zygomatic rhinitis – fungus invades tissue through arteries
•Causes thrombosis
•Can involve the CNS.
 DEEP MYCOSES
Usually seen in immuno-suppressed patients with:
•AIDS
•Cancer
•Diabetes

Can be acquired by:

•Inhalation of fungi or fungal spores
•Use of contaminated medical equipment
•Deep mycoses results in a systemic infection –
disseminated mycoses
 DEEP MYCOSES
Coccidiomycoses – caused by genus Coccidioides
•Primary respiratory infection
•Leads to fever, erythremia, and bronchial pneumonia
•Usually resolves spontaneously due to immune defense
•Some cases are fatal

Aspergillosis – caused by several species of Aspergillus

•Associated with immunodeficiency
•Can be invasive and disseminate to the blood and lungs
•Causes acute pneumonia
•Mortality is very high.
•Death can occur in a matter of weeks.
 Respiratory Fungal Infections
Histoplasmosis
– Histoplasma capsulatum, an ascomycete
– Airborne infection
– Transmitted by inhalation of spores in
contaminated spores
– Associated with chicken & bat droppings
– Respiratory tract symptoms; fever,
headache, cough, chest pains
 Respiratory Fungal Infections
Blastomycosis
– Blastomyces dermatitidis, an ascomycete
– Associated with dusty soil & bird droppings
– Skin transmission: via cuts & abrasions
– Raised, wart-like lesions
– Airborne transmission: via inhalation of spores
– Respiratory tract symptoms
– Occasional internal infections with high fatality
rate