Zygomycota - mucorales

Zygomycota - mucorales

1. General characteristics

   • •Conjugating Fungi •CLASS-Zygomycetes •ORDERS-Mucorales, Entomophthorales, Zoopagales, Kickxellales,and Trichomycetes
   • •most species have thallusof coenocytichyphae; except at bases of reprodroductive structures •haploid nuclei in vegetative stage •chitin cell walls
   • •No flagellated cell stages in life cycle •No centrioles; possess spindle pole bodies (SPBs) •Saprobes, parasites & pathogens, mutualists •Zygos(Gr.) -yoke, joining; refers to the fusion of gametangia to form a unique structure called the zygosporangium

2. Mucorales

   • Order
     • •largest order •most common species •used in industry and food production
   • Body plan
     • Thallusof coenocytichyphae; except at bases of reproductive structures •Rhizoids; adhere to substrate •Stolon; connect two groups of rhizoids
   • sexual reproduction
     • •conjugationby two morphologically similiargametangiato produce a zygosporangium •homo-& heterothallic species
   • Asexual reproduction
     • •sporangiophores, •sporangium, •sporangiospores •sporangiophoressimple to branched

3. Pilobolaceae

   • •Phototropic, shotgun fungus •Sporangiophoreextending from a swollen carotene-rich trophocyst •End of sporangiophoreis a swollen sub-sporangial vesicle (ssv) •Sporangium sits on top of the ssv
   • •Pressure builds up in the ssv, rupturing the sub-sporangial vesicle and propelling the sporangium up to 2 meters •In nature sporangium sticks on grass, etc. •Sporangia are ingested by animal, pass through gastrointestinal tract & spores germinate in dung

4. Entomophthorales

   • parasitesoninsects
   • some have septate mycelium; can break up into hyphal bodies
   • Hyphalbodiesgerminatetoproduceasexualspores
   • Two hyphal bodies may act as gametangia, copulate, lateralout growth develop into zygosporangium containing a zygospore