Kingdom Fungi

Characteristics

The Characteristics of Fungi Fungi are NOT plants Nonphotosynthetic Eukaryotes Nonmotile Most are saprobes (live on dead organisms)

The Characteristics of Fungi Absorptive heterotrophs (digest food first & then absorb it into their bodies) Release digestive enzymes to break down organic material or their host Store food energy as glycogen (plants store their food energy as starch) BREAD MOLD

The Characteristics of Fungi Important decomposers & recyclers of nutrients in the environment Most are multicellular, except unicellular yeast Lack true roots, stems or leaves MULTICELLULAR MUSHROOM UNICELLULAR YEAST

The Characteristics of Fungi Cell walls are made of chitin (versus plant cell walls being made of cellulose) Body is called the Thallus Grow as microscopic tubes or filaments called hyphae

The Characteristics of Fungi Some fungi are internal or external parasites A few fungi act like predators & capture prey like roundworms Predaceous Fungi feeding on a Nematode (roundworm)

The Characteristics of Fungi Some are edible, while others are poisonous EDIBLE POISONOUS

The Characteristics of Fungi Produce both sexual and asexual spores Classified by their sexual reproductive structures Spores come in various shapes

The Characteristics of Fungi Grow best in warm, moist environments Mycology is the study of fungi Mycologists study fungi A fungicide is a chemical used to kill fungi Fungicide kills leaf fungus

The Characteristics of Fungi Fungi include puffballs, yeasts, mushrooms, toadstools, rusts, smuts, ringworm, and molds The antibiotic penicillin is made by the Penicillium mold Penicillium mold Puffball

Vegetative Structures NON-REPRODUCTIVE

Hyphae Tubular shape ONE continuous cell Filled with cytoplasm & nuclei Multinucleate Hard cell wall of chitin also in insect exoskeletons

Hyphae Stolons – horizontal hyphae that connect groups of hyphae to each other Rhizoids – rootlike parts of hyphae that anchor the fungus STOLON RHIZOIDS

Hyphal growth Hyphae grow from their tips Mycelium is an extensive, feeding web of hyphae Mycelia are the ecologically active bodies of fungi This wall is rigid Only the tip wall is plastic and stretches

ASEXUAL & SEXUAL SPORES REPRODUCTIVE STRUCTURES ASEXUAL & SEXUAL SPORES

REPRODUCTION Most fungi reproduce Asexually and Sexually by spores ASEXUAL reproduction is most common method & produces genetically identical organisms Fungi reproduce SEXUALLY when conditions are poor & nutrients scarce

Spores Spores are an adaptation to life on land Ensure that the species will disperse to new locations Each spore contains a reproductive cell that forms a new organism Nonmotile Dispersed by wind

Sexual Reproduction

Types of Fruiting Bodies: Basidia Sporangia Ascus ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION Types of Fruiting Bodies: Basidia Sporangia Ascus Sporangia Basidia

Both are composed of hyphae Fruiting Bodies Both are composed of hyphae mycelium

Evolution of Fungi

Cladogram Which of the following is most closely related to a mushroom (fungus)? WHY? Recent DNA-based studies show that fungi are more similar to animals than to plants

Molecular studies indicate that animals, not plants, are the closest relatives of fungi. Both Animals and Fungi are related most closely to a group of Protists known as the choanoflagellates (collar flagellates) Kingdom began in ocean during Precambrian (Late Proterozoic era) More than 100,000 species of fungi are known and mycologists estimate that there are actually about 1.5 million species worldwide. Evolution of the Fungi

It’s All About the Spores! Fungi are classified by their REPRODUCTIVE STRUCTURES and SPORES The reproductive structures are: BASIDIA - BASIDIOMYCOTA SPORANGIA - ZYGOSPORANGIA ASCUS - ASCOMYCOTA

Classification & Phylogeny asci basidia The phyla of fungi are determined by 1. motility of spores 2. nature of sexual stage Fungi moved onto land with the plants in the Early Paleozoic Much of the evolution of fungi was in conjunction with the evolution of plants and plant parts For example, when roots evolved, fungi were there and helped (mycorrhizas) When wood evolved, fungi evolved to take advantage of it Other evolutionary changes related to animals zygosporangia Classification & Phylogeny motile spores

Major Groups of Fungi

Major Groups of Fungi Basidiomycota – Club Fungi Zygomycota – Bread Molds Chytridiomycota – Chytrids AM Fungi - Mycorrhizas Ascomycota – Sac Fungi Lichens – Symbiosis (algae & Fungi)

ZYGOmycota

Basidiomycota

Basidiomycota Called Club fungi Includes: Mushrooms Toadstools Bracket & Shelf fungi Puffballs Stinkhorns Rusts and smuts Asexual spores conidia Ecologically important on wood as decomposers and parasites Half the mushrooms form mycorrhizas

USES For Basidiomycota Some are used as food (mushrooms) Others damage crops (rusts & smuts) Portobello Mushrooms Soybean Rust Corn Smut

Ascomycota

Characteristics Called Sac fungi Includes Cup fungi, morels, truffles, yeasts, and mildew May be plant parasites (Dutch elm disease and Chestnut blight) Mycologists have described over 60,000 species of ascomycetes, or sac fungi. Ascomycota tend to grow from spore to spore in one year and relate well to living plant tissues There is diverse form in the growth and fruiting structures – yeasts to morels, many intermediate (and small) Asexual reproduction by conidia (externally produced, not in sporangia) Half of the Ascomycota form lichens (evolved 8 or more times in different orders) but not all lichens are Ascomycotes

Uses of Ascomycetes Truffles and morels are good examples of edible ascomycetes Penicillium mold makes the antibiotic penicillin. Some ascomycetes also gives flavor to certain cheeses. Saccharomyces cerevesiae (yeast) is used to make bread rise and to ferment beer & wine.

CHYTRIDIOMYCOTA

MYCORRHIZA

Lichens

Lichens Mutualism between: Fungus (structure) Algae or cyanobacteria (provides food) Thallus is a plant-like body that doesn’t have roots, stems or leaves Thallus doesn’t look like either partner Dual nature of thalli was not fully understood until early 1900’s Fungus gives the name to the lichen (by agreement) Fungus usually, but not always, an Ascomycote (in 8+ independent orders) Algae green. If bluegreen bacteria present, lichens fix nitrogen (turn atmospheric nitrogen into amino acid nitrogen in proteins)

Lichen structure The nature of lichen symbiosis is may also be described as mutual exploitation instead of mutual benefit. Lichens live in environments where neither fungi nor algae could live alone. While the fungi do not grow alone in the wild, some (but not all) lichen algae occur as free-living organisms. If cultured separately, the fungi do not produce lichen compounds and the algae do not “leak” carbohydrate from their cells. In some lichens, the fungus invades algal cells with haustoria and kills some of them, but not as fast as the algae replenish its numbers by reproduction. Lobaria oregana prefers old-growth conifer canopies in forests with clean air.

Lichens as biomonitors Thalli act like sponges Some species more sensitive than others to pollutants Which species are present can indicate air quality Most resistant species can also be analyzed for pollutants Analysis for sulfur and heavy metals in resistant species shows levels relative to levels in the environment