Kingdom: Fungi Domain Eukarya Domain Bacteria Archaea Eukarya Common ancestor

Fungi Characteristics Cell walls of chitin Absorb nutrients by releasing powerful enzymes into their food and then absorbing the digested nutrients. Lack chlorophyll Multicellular heterotrophs

Fungal Structure Fungal body Cells Cell wall mycelium multiple nuclei thread-like cells hyphae Cells multiple nuclei Cell wall chitin just like crab shells

Aaaaah, structure–function relationship! Internal structure chitin cell wall septum Eukaryotic cells long, thread-like cells filamentous incomplete divisions between cells septum multiple nuclei pore nuclei Aaaaah, structure–function relationship!

Fungi live IN their food! It’s like you living in Chocolate cake! Modes of Nutrition Heterotrophic secrete digestive enzymes feed by absorption parasites feeding on living creatures predators paralyzing prey decomposer breakdown dead remains fungal hypha plant cell wall plant cell membrane plant cell Fungi live IN their food! It’s like you living in Chocolate cake!

Fungi as Parasites, continued Plant Diseases About 80% of plant diseases are caused by fungi A fungal parasite, black stem rust, growing on a wheat plant

Corn smut is a fungal pathogen. The grayish growths are called galls Corn smut is a fungal pathogen. The grayish growths are called galls. Analogous to the fruiting body of a mushroom. When a gall matures, it breaks open and releases thousands of blackish spores. In parts of Central America, the smutted ears are cooked and eaten as a delicacy, but generally corn smut is regarded as a scourge. Certain genetic strains of corn are resistant to it. Corn smut

Ergots on rye caused by the fungus Claviceps purpurea Consumption of flour made from ergot-infested grain can cause gangrene, nervous spasms, burning sensations, hallucinations, temporary insanity, and death. One epidemic in Europe in the year 944 killed more than 40, 000 people. Several kinds of toxins have been isolated from ergots. One, called lysergic acid, is the raw material from which the hallucinogenic drug LSD is made. Certain others are medicinal in small doses. An ergot compound is useful in treating high blood pressure and stopping maternal bleeding after childbirth. However as recently as 1951, in Pont-St. Esprit, a small town in France, there was an outbreak of the disease. First a bit of background-- in Europe it is the custom to buy fresh bread nearly every day. Much more civilized than our American custom of buying bread with preservatives in it that allow it to last several weeks. In this small town there was only one bakery and everyone bought bread from it. Strange things started happening. People developed a burning sensation in their limbs, began to hallucinate that they could fly, did strange things to their dogs with forks and in general acted weirdly. This outbreak is chronicled in a marvelous (but out of print) book called "The day of St Anthony's Fire" by John Grant Fuller. St. Anthony is the patron saint of lost causes (incidentally I went to St. Anthony's church until I was about 18). When all of the other saints have failed, St. Anthony is the one you are supposed to pray to. And St. Anthony's fire was rampant in the town that day. Similar outbreaks probably occurred throughout the world wherever the conditions were right for the growth of Claviceps purpurea. The chemical responsible for the hallucinations is actually LSD! lysergic acid. So what does this all have to do with the Salem Witch Trials, which took place near Salem Massachusetts in the late 1600's? There have been various attempts to explain those witch trials. None of them are more logical and interesting than the hypothesis of ergot poisoning, caused by Claviceps purpurea. The behavior was not identified as witchcraft until 1691, and this was just the beginning of the problem. Many people were sent to trial and often convicted and imprisoned. By September 1692 twenty men and women had been put to death for their crimes. All of the accused had similar symptoms: manic melancholia, psychosis, delirium, crawling sensations of the skin, vertigo, headaches, vomiting and diarrhea. All of these are symptoms of ergot poisoning, and it is likely that at list the initial hysteria was started by Claviceps purpurea infecting the grains of rye. This was chronicled in an article (Science 192:21-26, 1976) by Linnda R. Caporael called "Ergotism: The Satan Loosed in Salem?" She provides compelling, although circumstantial, evidence that the Salem witch trials coincided with a weather period that would have produced large quantities of ergot on rye, which was grown in the lowlands in that area. Ergots on rye caused by the fungus Claviceps purpurea

American elm tree killed by Dutch elm disease The parasitic fungus that causes Dutch elm disease evolved with European species of elm trees, and it is relatively harmless to them. But it is deadly to American elms. Accidentally introduced into the United States on logs sent from Europe to pay World War I debts, the fungus was carried from tree to tree by bark beetles. American elm tree killed by Dutch elm disease

Tinea pedis, ringworm of the foot/“athlete’s foot” Human Diseases Tinea pedis, ringworm of the foot/“athlete’s foot”

Tinea corporis, ringworm of trunk, arms or legs Human Diseases Tinea corporis, ringworm of trunk, arms or legs

Human Diseases Candidiasis/thrush

Sporotrichosis/“rose-picker’s disease” Human Diseases Sporotrichosis/“rose-picker’s disease”

Fungi as Parasites, continued Other Animal Diseases This dragonfly is the victim of a fungus of the genus Cordyceps.

Ecological Roles Symbiotic Relationships recycle nutrients fungi + algae pioneer species in ecosystems makes soil from bare rock fungi + plants enables plants to absorb more water

Mycorrhizae Critical role in plant growth extends water absorption of roots without mycorrhizae with mycorrhizae Endomycorrhiza Ectomycorrhiza

Reproduction Asexual Sexual budding in yeast spores spread by wind joining of + & – haploid spores haploid spores

Phylogeny Chrytridiomycota used to be classified as protists, now are classified as fungi.

Example Rhizopus. Black bread mold Zygomycota

Rhizopus

Conidia are for asexual reproduction 8 ascospores in asci Ascomycota

Basidiomycete Life Cycle gills lined with basidia fruiting body basidium (n + n) dikaryotic 2n (diploid) (n) haploid zygote strain MEIOSIS spores FUSION of and hyphae strain

Basidiomycota Asexual is uncommon Reproductive parts are above ground Puffball is example Basidiomycota

Shelf fungus decomposing wood Stinkhorn fungus

Fairy Rings

Name and Match the Structures

The FIRST Antibiotics

Unique Lifestyles Molds: Only considered mold in asexual part of lifecycle Deuteromycetes molds that have shown no sexual stages Comercial uses: Antibiotics fermenters on blue cheese cyclosporine

Any Questions??