Fungi

World’s Largest Organism

Armillaria Ostoyae

Rhizomorphs

Take water and nutrients from tree roots, killing trees

Fungi are… (how they gain energy)

Heterotrophs

Saprotrophic

Gain energy from decomposing dead organic material

Biotrophically

Fungi live as a symbiont of another living organism

Osmotrophic (Looks at Doc for more info)

Fungi feed by osmosis

They digest organic matter by excreting enzymes into the substrate and absorbing the digesting material

Absorption

Absorption happens in the hypha, and hyphae make the mycelium. The process through which absorption takes place is osmotrophy.

Mycelium

A vast network of thread-like hyphae

Aseptate/Non-Septate

Multinucleated (Lacks cross-walls)

Septate

Have hyphae w/ cross walls

Chitin

Key component of cell wall, give hyphae their shape, protect them from environmental stress

Glycogen

Where energy is stored

• Same place as animals (ex as to why they’re considered closely related)

Sexual Reproduction

1. Hyphae Haploid

2. Dikaryotic stage N=N

3. Spore

Asexual Reproduction- Types

1. Production of spores by single mycelium

2. Fragmentation

3. Budding

Both Asexual and Sexual Production result in…

Nonmotile Spore

Key structural characteristic of zygomycota

They have aspetate hyphae

Lifestyle + Classification of Zygomycota

Most are saprobes, living off decaying organic material

What is the reproductive structing of Zygomycota

Zygospores (sexual)

Examples of Zygospore fungi

Bread mole, Hat Thrower

What is another name for Ascomycota Fungi

Sac fungi

What is the primary lifestyle of most Ascomycota fungi

Most are saprotrophs

What are two exmples of Ascomycota fungi that are considered edible

Morels and truffles

What role do Ascomycota fungi play in plant diseases?

They are responsible for many plant diseases

Which Ascomycota fungi are involved in baking and brewing

Yeast (e.g., Candida and other species used in baking and brewing).

What two fungal genera cause serious human infections?

Aspergillus and Candida

Why is Candida auris an emerging threat in hospitals

It cause severe illness and is often resistant to antifungal treatments

Pencillium, an Ascomycota fungus is the source of…

Pencillin

What are Cordiceps

An Anscomycota that is a parasite of insects

What types of insects does Cordyceps infect

Ants, spiders, and other insects

How does Cordyceps affect its host

It drains the host of nutrients and then fills its body with spores to reproduce

What behavioral change does Cordyceps cause in infected insects

It compels the insect to climb to a high place and remain there before releasing spores

How does Cordyceps spread to other insects?

The infected insect expels fungal spores from its body which will infect other nearby insects

What type of reproduction is most common in Ascomycota fungi

Asexual reproduction is the norm in Ascomycota

How do yeasts usually reproduce

Yests usually reproduce by budding which is an asexual process

What is the name of the spores produced in asexual reproduction in other Ascomycota fungi?

Conidia/Conidiospores

What develops in the sexual reproduction of Ascomycota fungi?

Ascus

What are ascus (Ascomycota fungi)

They are a fingerlike sac that develops during sexual reproduction

What is an ascocarp (Ascomycota fungi)

An ascocarp is the structure that surrounds and protects the ascus during sexual reproduction

What do haploid hyphae do during sexual reproduction (Ascomycota fungi)

Haploid hyphae fuse to make diploid nucleus

What process occurs after the diploid nucleus forms

Mitosis followed by meiosis to produce 8 ascospores

What does “yeasts” refer to in Ascomycota

Unicellular fungi

What is another nane for Basidomycota Fungi

Club Fungi

What tyes of fungi belong to Basidiomycota?

Mushroom-forming, some poisonous species, plant pathogens, jelly fungi, and yeasts

What makes some Basidiomycota species dangerous?

Some are are deadly poisonous, such as the death cap and destroying angels

What are amatoxins?

Amatoxins are highly toxic compounds found in certain Basidomycota fungi such as death cap and destroying angels

What are examples of plant diseases caused by Basidiomycota

Smuts and rusts, which are fungal pathogens affecting crops

What is the difference between cremini, button, and portobello mushrooms

They are all the same species, but at different ages

How do Basidiomycota typically reproduce?

They usually reproduce sexually

How is mycelium formed in Basidomycota

Haploid hyphae fuse, forming a dikaryotic (n + n) mycelium

What type of mycelium is present in Basidiomycota

Dikaryotic mycelium (contains two genetically distinct nuclei per cell)

What are basidiocarps?

Fruiting bodies formed from Dikaryotic mycelium

What are Basidia

They are club shaped structures which produce spores

How are basidiospores formed?

Nuclear fusion occurs in basidia, followed by meiosis, producing basidiospores

What therapeutic effect has psilocybin-assisted therapy shown? (Psilocybin mushroom)

Psilocybin-assisted therapy, combined with supportive psychotherapy, has shown antidepressant effects last at least a year

What are Chytridiomycota (chytrids?)

Chytrids are the most primitive fungi, often unicellular, with flagella for movement

Where do chytrids live

Most live in aquatic environments, but some can be found on land

How do chytrids reproduce?

They reproduce asexually

What role do chytrids play in amphibian extinctions

Some chytrids are parasites on amphibians, causing chytridiomycosis, a deadly skin diseases

What is amphibian chytridiomycosis (BD)

A motile swimming spore that infects an amphibians skin, disrupting its ability to absorb water and oxygen

How might climate change affect chytrid fungi

Climate stress on amphibians may make them more vulnerable, allowing chytrids to become more pathogenic

Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) causes what in bats

White Nose Syndrome

Where does Pseudogymnoascus destructans thrive

It thrives in cold environments, such as caves where bats hibernate

What are the visible symptoms of WNS in infected bats

Fungal growth on the nose, ears, and wings (hairless areas)

How does WNS affect bat behavior

It irritates bats, causing them to wake up more frequently from hibernation and fly earlier than normal

What physiological effects does WNS have on bats

It causes weight loss, dehydration and often death

What are fungal infections called

Mycosis

What are some antibiotics created from Fungi

Penicillin, Streptomycin, nd Cephalosporin

What are some cholesterol lowering agents made from Fungi

Lovastatin (Mevacor) and Atorvastatin (Lipitor)

What is dermatophytes

A group of fungi that causes infections of the skin, hair, and nails

What is an example of dermatophytes

Athlete’s Foot

What is mycoremediation

It’s a group of fungi that are able to clean environmental pollution

How do fungal- based insecticides work?

They infect insects with parasitic fungi, which grow inside the host, drain nutrients, and eventually kill it

Why might fungal-based insecticides be better than chemical insecticides?

They are environmentally friendly, cause less pesticide resistance, and can co-evolve with pests for long-term effectiveness

Where does black mold grow?

It grows on wet wood/paper

What is the Wood-Wide Web

It’s a theory bout how trees cooperate and interact through fungi

What organisms form a symbiotic relationship in lichens?

Fungus, cyanobacterium or green algae

How do fungal hyphae interact with the photosynthetic symbiont in lichens?

The hyphae penetrate the symbiont and absorb nutrients directly from it

Is the relationship in lichens always mutualistic

There’s been some evidence that fungal may act as a parasite rather than a mutualist

Why are lichens ecologically important?

They can survive extreme conditions and act as sensitive indicators of air pollution by absorbing pollutants

What are the three morphological types of lichens?

Crutose, Fruitcose, Foliose

Crustose

Compact, found on bare rocks or tree bark

Fruticose

Shrub like, branched structures

Foliose

Lef-life, with a flattened, lobed appearance