Structures that are likely to play a role in the fungal life cycle (IMAGE)
Caption
Figure 4 This figure presents additional structures that are likely to play a role in the fungal life cycle. Among them are intercalary swellings and teliospore-like cells, which contain spore-like structures with one or more nuclei. The researchers documented several stages of development, ranging from young swellings and spore formation to germination and the emergence of new hyphae. Some structures produce thick promycelium-like hyphae, while others release small yeast-like cells through budding. These observations suggest that Semicentenialea rex has a complex life cycle involving several different cell types and spore forms. This resembles rust fungi within the Pucciniomycotina, which are known for producing multiple types of spores.
More specific:
FIgure 4: Intercalary and probasidium/teliospore-like (TLC) swellings and promycelium-like hyphae in Semicentenialea rex sp. nov. Nuclei stained with propidium iodine (magenta) and cell walls and septa with calcofluor white (cyan). 3D volume rendering of z-stacks in B–C, G–I, K–M. Maximum intensity projection in Q. A An intercalary swelling separated by two septa, with a potential cell budding of close to one of them (arrow). Short terminal cell at the end of the same hypha (arrowhead). B A budding cell close to an intercalary swelling with one nucleus (arrow). C An intercalary swelling separated by septa on both sides. A budding cell (arrow) from the adjacent cell to the intercalary swelling. D Intercalary swelling with clamps forming on both sides (arrowheads). E A thick-walled, sessile probasidium/teliospore-like swelling. F–G Detached TLC with a spore-like cell forming inside (asterisk), with two nuclei in G. H TLC with a spore-like cell with three nuclei. I TLC attached to the generative hypha with budding cell with one nucleus, and two nuclei inside the spore-like cell. J One optical section of I showing the binucleate spore-like cell inside the TLC. K Binucleate spore-like cells released from TLCs. L TLCs in different developmental stages, with the spore-like cells more visible in some cells (asterisk). M Possibly early developmental stages of TLCs with two spots staining strongly with calcofluor white, hypothetical initial stages of the cell-wall of the spore-like cell. Rotating 3D rendering of M as Suppl. material 6: movie S5. N Detached TLC starting to germinate (arrow) and a released spore (arrowhead) O TLC germinating and forming a thick promycelium-like hypha, with possible conidial cells at one end (arrow). P Promycelium and thin, septate hypha (arrow). Q Terminal TLC and dikaryotic hyphae. R–S Knobbly promycelium with possible small yeasts budding of (arrow). T Promycelium with clamp connection (c) and budding cell (arrow). A single cell germinating (arrowhead). U Yeast cell (arrowhead) budding of from a knobbly promycelium. Isolate HU4064, type (A–D, G–L, T); HU4107 (E–F, N–P); HU4147 (M, Q); JH144 (R–S, U). Scale bars: 10 μm (A, C–F, K, M–P, Q–U); 5 μm (B, G, J, L), 4 μm (H), 3 μm (I).
Credit
Anna Rosling/Uppsala University
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