SEXUAL REPRODUCTION
Sexual reproduction involves union of two
compatible nuclei or sex cells or sex organs or
somatic cells or somatic hyphae for the formation
of new individuals.
Sexual stage is also called as perfect stage and
teliomorphic stage.
Sexual cycle normally occurs once in the life
span of the fungus.
Sexual structures which contain sexual spores
are thick walled and resistant to unfavorable
conditions.
Sexual spores are viable for longer period
and thus these spores help the fungus to
perpetuate from one season to another , hence
these are called as resting spores.
Sexual spores are definite in number.
Sex organs of fungi:
Gametangia: Sex organs of fungi are
called gametangia containing gametes or
gamete nuclei.
Gametes: Sex cells are called as gametes .
Antheridium (pl. antheridia): Male
gametangium is called as antheridium. It is
small in size and club shaped.
Oogonium/Ascogonium (pl.
oogonia/ascogonia): The female gametangium
is called Oogonium (oomycetes) or ascogonium
(ascomycotina).
Female gametangium is large and globose
shaped.
Male gametes are called antherozoids or
sperm or spermatozoids.
Phases in Sexual reproduction
There are 3 phases in sexual reproduction.
[Link]: Union of two protoplasts takes
place. Effectively bringing two haploid nuclei close
together in same cell.
2. Karyogamy: Union of 2 sexually compatible
nuclei brought together by plasmogamy to form a
diploid nucleus (2n) i.e., zygote.
3. Meiosis: This is reduction division. The
number of chromosomes is reduced to
haploid (n) i.e., diploid nucleus results into
haploid nucleus..
Methods of sexual reproduction
There are 5 methods of sexual reproduction.
1. Planogametic copulation.
2. Gametangial contact
3. Gametangial copulation
4. Spermatisation
5. Somatogamy
1. Planogametic copulation
It involves the fusion of two naked gametes one or
both of which are motile. Motile gametes are called
planogametes.
Based on size and motility of gametes, there are 3
types:
1. Isogamy
2. Anisogamy
3. Heterogamy (Oogamy)
1. Isogamy:
When two fusing gametes are of same size and
shape, e.g., Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
2. Anisogamy:
When two planogametes are of same shape but
different size, e.g., Allomyces sp.
3. Heterogamy (Oogamy):
It involves fusion of motile male gamete and non-motile
female gamete, e.g., Monoblepharis sp.
2. Gametangial contact
In this, male and female gametangia come in
close contact with each other and get fused.
The male gametic nuclei migrates into the
oogonium through a pore dissolved at the point
of contact or through a fertilization tube
formed by the antheridium. e.g. Pythium sp.,
Phytophthora sp., Albugo sp.
3. Gametangial copulation
Direct fusion of gametangia: two gametangia
fuses and become one cell, e.g., Mucor sp.
Migration of entire protoplast of one gametangium
into the other through a pore, e.g., Rhizophydium
sp.
4.
Spermatization
It occurs in Ascomycetes (Neurospora sp.) and
Basidiomycetes (Puccinia sp.).
Minute conidia like male gametes, called
spermatia (sing. spermatium) are produced on
spermatiophores, borne externally or inside
cavities, called spermgonia (sing.
spermgonium).
The spermatium when
comes in contact with
the female
gametangium (or the
receptive hyphae)
releases the male
nucleus into the female
gametangium through a
5. Somatogamy
Fusion between
undifferentiated somatic
cells or spores is called as
somatic copulation or
somatogamy.
Anastomosis, which is the
fusion of hyphae is frequent
in Ascomycota and
Sporocarps
Any spore bearing organ, which produces
spores, is called as sporocarp.
Majority of Asco- and Basidiomycetes produce
sporocarps of various size and shapes, called as
ascoma and basidioma, respectively.
Sexual fruiting bodies
There are 5 sexual fruiting bodies in
ascomycetes:
1. Apothecium
2. Cleistothecium
3. Perithecium
4. Gymnothecium
5. Pseudothecium
[Link]
Fruiting body of certain
fungi: usually an open,
saucer-shaped or cup-
shaped body, the inner
surface of which is covered
with a layer that bears asci,
e.g., Ascobolus sp.,
2. Cleistothecium
A cleistothecium is a
globose, completely
closed fruit body with no
special opening to the
outside. The asci are
globose, deliquescent and
scattered throughout the
interior cavity, e.g.,
3. Perithecium
These are flask shaped structures opening by a
pore or ostiole through which the ascospores
escape.
The unitunicate asci are usually cylindrical in
shape, borne on a stipe (stalk), released from a
pore, developed from the inner wall of the
perithecium, e.g., Xylaria sp., Claviceps sp.,
Neurospora sp.
4. Gymnothecium
Similar to a cleistothecium,
a gymnothecium is a
completely enclosed
structure containing
globose or pear-shaped,
deliquescent asci, e.g.,
Gymnoascus sp.,
Talaromyces sp.
5. Pseudothecium
This is similar to a perithecium, but the asci are
not regularly organised into a hymenium.
Asci are bitunicate, having a double wall that
expands when it takes up water and shoots the
enclosed spores out suddenly to disperse them,
e.g., Venturia inaequalis, Mycosphaerella
musicola.
