Adaptation of the spore discharge mechanism in the basidiomycota.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Spore discharge in the majority of the 30,000 described species of Basidiomycota is powered by the rapid motion of a fluid droplet, called Buller's drop, over the spore surface. In basidiomycete yeasts, and phytopathogenic rusts and smuts, spores are discharged directly into the airflow around the fungal colony. Maximum discharge distances of 1-2 mm have been reported for these fungi. In mushroom-forming species, however, spores are propelled over much shorter ranges. In gilled mushrooms, for example, discharge distances of <0.1 mm ensure that spores do not collide with opposing gill surfaces. The way in which the range of the mechanism is controlled has not been studied previously.

Methodology/principal findings

In this study, we report high-speed video analysis

SUBMITTER: Stolze-Rybczynski JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2612744 | biostudies-literature | 2009

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature