Unit 9 Fungi : Introduction

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Fig. 9.4: Range of thallus organisation: a) Unicellular – Hyphochytrid globose; b) Unicellular –

Saccharomyces (yeast) oval; c) Unicellular – Holocarpi-endobiotic chytrid-pyriform;
d) Unicellular – eucarpic – epibiotic chytrid with rhizoids; e) Unicellular – hypochytrid with
rhizoids; f) Unicellular – Labyrinthula - spindle shaped with ectoplasmic network (arrow); g)
Promycelium – Saccharomyces; h) Filamentous – Aseptate - Oomycota; i) Filamentous – Septate
- Basidiomycota, Ascomycota; j) Septum – incomplete - Ascomycota; k) Septum – dolipore -
Basidiomycota; l) Pseudoparenchyma – Basidiomycota, Ascomycota; m,n) Plectenchyma -
Ascomycota, Basidiomycota. 13
Block 3 Fungi
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members of division Ascomycota and Basidiomycota develop internal cross
walls, the septa which divide the hyphae into segments. These septae occur
at regular intervals (Fig. 9.4 i). The septum could be incomplete (Fig. 9.4 j) or
dolipore (Fig. 9.4 k). The segment may possess one, two or many nuclei. You
would study details of such mycelial structures in next unit.
Plectenchymatous Forms
The fungus mycelium normally, as mentioned above, is a mass of loosely
interwoven hyphae which form a network. In some fungi the entire mycelium or
its parts undergo various modifications. The walls of the hyphae in the mass
get fused and they lose their individuality. As a result the hyphal mass, in cross
section appears to be a continuous structure. It resembles the
parenchymatous tissue of higher plants, but it is not a true parenchyma as
found in higher plants. In fungi such a tissue is called plectenchyma
(Fig. 9.4 l-n).
Plectenchyma can further be differentiated into two types. The plectenchyma
with rounded fungal cells is called pseudoparenchyma and with less
compacted elongated cells is called prosenchyma.

9.5 CELL WALL

Similar to plants but unlike the animals, the hyphal cells of fungi are
surrounded by cell wall. Although the chemical components of cell walls can
vary between and within different groups of fungi, the basic design seems to
be uniform. The fungal cell wall is a dynamic structure. It can change and
undergo modifications at different stages in the life of a fungus.

9.5.1 Structure of Fungal Cell Wall

In composition, the fungal cell wall can be distinctly divided in two regions
outer and inner. The outer region consists of gel-like or crystalline matrix of
water soluble substances. The porous nature of this region determines the
permeability of the cell wall. The inner region consists of a network of water
insoluble micro-fibrillar scaffold. These fibres are cross linked. The degree of
cross linking determines the plasticity of the cell wall.

9.5.2 Chemical Constituents of Fungal Cell Wall

The following are the major fungal cell wall components. Their presence and
relative proportions can vary in different fungal groups.

Chitin : These are microfibrillar bundles of linearly linked β–(1,4)–N–acetyl

glucosamine chain.

Glucan : These are highly branched with either β-(1,3) or β-(1,6) bonds. These
glucans (glucose polymer) are insoluble in alkaline solutions. However, β-1,3
or β-1,4 linked branched or unbranched glucan chains are alkaline soluble.
Hence, they contribute to matrix.

Cellulose : These are β-(1,4) glucan chains, found only in the members of
14 Oomycota and are characteristically absent in True Fungi.
Unit 9 Fungi : Introduction
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Many fungi live as parasites on plants, animals and humans. Like animal
parasites, parasitic fungi are either ectoparasites or endoparasites. You may
know that ectoparasites remain on the surface of the host. In ectoparasitic
fungi, the mycelia spread on the surface of the host and attach themselves to
it through special organs called appressorium. A minute infection peg grows
from the appressorium and penetrates the epidermal cell of the host tissue for
obtaining nourishment. In endoparasitic fungi the mycelium ramifies within the
host tissue. The intracellular absorption of food from the host is carried out by
haustoria. Some parasitic fungi utilise two hosts for completing their life cycle, Biotrophs –
Parasites are also
e.g., Puccinia graminis about which you will learn in the next unit. Some fungi called biotrophs.
even parasitise other fungi. They are called biotrophic mycoparasites. They may be
obligate or
Fungi may be facultative or obligate parasites. The facultative parasites are facultative. They do
those which become parasitic under certain stress conditions, while obligate not necessarily kill
parasites maintain a parasitic mode throughout their life. host.

Symbiotic fungi live in intimate mutually beneficial relationship with other Nectrotrophs
organisms, often a plant. More about such relationship you will learn in Unit 11.
Parasites that kill the
Some fungi also grow on the surface of higher plants without causing host cells and feed on
noticeable damage. the dead tissues. They
may release toxins to
Since fungi are basically heterotrophs they utilise preformed food in nature. In
kill host, damaging
laboratory conditions, however, they require nutrients such as: C, H, O, K, P, plasma membranes of
S, N, Mg, Zn, Mn, Cu, Fe, Ca, and many others. They, however, can host tissue. Nutrients
biosynthesise their own vitamins. But they need to be supplied biotine, from host get released
thiamine, methionine, cysteine externally. quickly and is readily
available to parasite.

SAQ 3
a) Which of the following statements are incorrect? Write them correctly:

i) The buds produced by yeast are called promycelium.

ii) Septate mycelium is characteristic of Zygomycota.

iii) Chitosan is predominantely found in Zygomycota.

iv) Oomycota is the only fungal division whose cell walls are cellulosic.

v) Those fungi which become parasitic under certain conditions are

called obligate parasites.

b) Match the cell-wall components mentioned in column I with the

constituent monomers given in the column II:

Column I Column II

1) Chitosan i) β- (1,4) glucan

2) Cellulose ii) β- (1,4) glucose

3) Glucan iii) β- (1,4)-N-acetyl glucosamine

4) Chitin iv) poly-β- (1,4) glucosamine

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known as homoimerous, e.g., most of the lichens where phycobiont
component is cynaobacteria. The more stratified lichens are termed
heteromerous.

Fig. 11.3 : Lichen thalli in vertical section: a) Crustose; and

b) Foliose lichens. Redrawn from Webster & Weber, 2007.

11.2.2 Reproduction
Vegetative Reproduction
New patches of lichens grow when small pieces of lichen are broken from the
main thallus. In addition, a variety of vegetative structures soredia,
cephalodia and isidia arise from the main thallus containing partners, the
phycobiont and the mycobiont.
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