1 Fungi

2 How Fungi Affect Other Organisms Fungi may be harmful (parasites), or helpful, or even necessary to other organisms.

3 How Fungi Affect Other Organisms Fungi and Disease Cause many serious diseases – both in plants and animals In plants – Mildew Dutch Elm Disease Chestnut Blight Corn smut and other crop diseases

4 How Fungi Affect Other Organisms Fungi and Disease Fungi that grow on foods can produce chemicals that are toxic (poisonous) when eaten –Ergot of Rye causes ergot poisoning that can be fatal Claviceps purpurea, the fungus that causes ergot poisoning; fruiting body growing on barley Public Domain urpurea.JPG urpurea.JPG

5 How Fungi Affect Other Organisms Fungi and Disease Fungi that grow on foods can produce chemicals that are toxic (poisonous) when eaten –Aflatoxin – cancer causing in small doses, fatal in large doses, produced by a fungus that grows in stored corn or peanuts Aspergillus, the fungus that produced aflatoxin, growing on peanuts Photo by International Institute of Tropical Agriculture Attribution-NonCommercial License library/ / library/ / FYI: Aflatoxin comes from Aspergillus + flavus + toxin

6 How Fungi Affect Other Organisms Fungi and Disease Fungi also cause –Athlete’s Foot –Ringworm –Lung disease in poultry Some fungi can be used to help control insect pests, for example Gypsy Moth caterpillars. Ringworm Photo by Grook Da Oger rcin%C3%A9_01.jpg rcin%C3%A9_01.jpg

7 How Fungi Affect Other Organisms Fungus-Root Associations Occur in ~80% of plants A mutualistic association 2 types caused by different kinds of fungi

8 How Fungi Affect Other Organisms Fungus-Root Associations 1.Endomycorrhizae (also called vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae) –part of the fungus grows within the cells of the roots –found on most flowering plants, including grasses (Angiosperms)

9 How Fungi Affect Other Organisms Fungus-Root Associations 1.Endomycorrhizae Public Domain: ular_mycorrhiza_microscope.jpg ular_mycorrhiza_microscope.jpg

10 How Fungi Affect Other Organisms Fungus-Root Associations 2. Ectomycorrhizae –grows around the root and in- between the outer cells of the root – does not enter the cell –gives roots a thickened appearance – primarily on woody trees and shrubs including all pines, willow, oak and beech trees

11 How Fungi Affect Other Organisms Fungus-Root Associations 2. Ectomycorrhizae Ectomycorrhizae on pine roots Photo by Randy Molina, Public Domain, a work of the Forest Service of the United States Department of Agriculture

12 How Fungi Affect Other Organisms Fungus-Root Associations Benefits to plants: 1.Increase the solubility of minerals in the soil – particularly phosphorus 2.Improves the uptake of nutrients (N, P, K) for the host 3.Protects against plant pathogens

13 How Fungi Affect Other Organisms Fungus-Root Associations Benefits to plants: 4.Produces plant growth hormones 5.Moves carbohydrates from one plant to another (vital for non- green plants such as Indian Pipe)

14 How Fungi Affect Other Organisms Fungus-Root Associations Benefits to Fungi –A source of carbohydrate (food)

15 How Fungi Affect Other Organisms Lichens: A mutualistic relationship between a fungus and an alga The alga is autotrophic and produces food.

16 How Fungi Affect Other Organisms Lichens: The fungus provides water and minerals for the alga. Together they can live in many places neither could survive alone, and where few or no other organisms can live either.

17 How Fungi Affect Other Organisms Lichens: Release acids that breakdown rock so are often the first organisms to grow in barren rocky areas Are the primary source of food for reindeer and caribou in wintertime Are important indicators of air pollution (They do not grow well if air is polluted.)

18 Lichens British Soldiers Photo by Louise K. Broman, Public Domain: Reindeer Lichen Photo by Jason Hollinger ( ).jpg ( ).jpg Wolf Lichen Photo by Jason Hollinger ollinger_crop.jpg ollinger_crop.jpg Public Domain: duction1.jpg duction1.jpg Photo by Roantrum