Non-developing ascospores in apothecia of asexually reproducing lichen-forming fungi

Authors

  • M. Carmen Molina Department of Biology and Geology, ESCET, University Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain.
  • Pradeep K. Divakar Department of Plant Biology II, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
  • Ning Zhang Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
  • Natalia González Department of Biology and Geology, ESCET, University Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain.
  • Lena Struwe Department of Plant Biology and Pathology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.

Keywords:

Physconia spp, apothecia, sexual reproduction, germination, ontogenetic development, mixed species

Abstract

The presence of apothecia in mixed species (vegetatively reproducing lichens, occasionally producing ascomata) has been interpreted as a mechanism to increase genetic variability in mostly clonal populations. However, spore viability from these apothecia has not been studied. We asked whether ascospores of the mixed species Physconia grisea are viable and thereby contribute to increasing the genetic diversity within populations of this species. An ontogenetic study of spores in cultures of P. grisea and a related sexual species (P. distorta), showed that although mature apothecia from both species produced and discharged meiospores capable of germination, spores from P. grisea were only rarely (0.43 %) able to continue development whereas those from P. distorta germinated and developed successfully. The strongly reduced viability of P. grisea spores suggested that they do not have a strong reproductive function, at least in the two local populations analyzed. Additionally, we show that the segregation of Physconia grisea ssp. lilacina does not have molecular support. [Int Microbiol 2013; 16(3):XXX-XXX]

Keywords: Physconia spp. · apothecia · sexual reproduction · germination · ontogenetic development · mixed species

Downloads

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 3 (2013)

Section

Research Articles

License

Submission of a manuscript to International Microbiology implies: that the work described has not been published before, including publication in the World Wide Web (except in the form of an Abstract or as part of a published lecture, review, or thesis); that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere; that all the coauthors have agreed to its publication. The corresponding author signs for and accepts responsability for releasing this material and will act on behalf of any and all coauthors regarding the editorial review and publication process.

If an article is accepted for publication in International Microbiology, the authors (or other copyright holder) must transfer to the journal the right–not exclusive–to reproduce and distribute the article including reprints, translations, photographic reproductions, microform, electronic form (offline, online) or any other reproductions of similar nature. Nevertheless, all article in International Microbiology will be available on the Internet to any reader at no cost. The journal allows users to freely download, copy, print, distribute, search, and link to the full text of any article, provided the authorship and source of the published article is cited. The copyright owner's consent does not include copying for new works, or resale. In these cases, the specific written permission of International Microbiology must first be obtained.

Authors are requested to create a link to the published article on the journal's website. The link must be accompanied by the following text: "The original publication is available on LINK at <http://www.im.microbios.org>. Please use the appropiate URL for the article in LINK. Articles disseminated via LINK are indexed, abstracted, and referenced by many abstracting and information services, bibliographic networks, subscription agencies, library networks, and consortia.