Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Morphogenesis and vegetative differentiation in filamentous fungi

  • Published:
Journal of Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Filamentous fungi are a morphologically diverse group of organisms. Growth occurs by extension of the hyphal tip. Cell shape is primarily determined by the location and rate of cell wall deposition. Signalling pathways that control these processes result in the formation of distinct cell types and multicellular structures. Examples of conidiation and appressorium formation in several filamentous ascomycetes suggest that some common features exist in the regulatory mechanisms governing asexual development in these fungi.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adams T. H. 1994 Asexual sporulation in higher fungi. InThe growing fungus (eds.) N. A. R. Gow and G. M. Gadd (London: Chapman and Hall) pp. 367–382

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Alex L. A., Borkovich K. A. and Simon M. I. 1996 Hyphal development inNeurospora crassa: Involvement of a two-component histidine kinase.Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93: 3416–3421

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Aramayo R., Peleg Y., Addison R. and Metzenberg R. 1996Asm-1 +, aNeurospora crassa gene related to transcriptional regulators of fungal development.Genetics 144: 991–1003

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barksdale T. H. and Asai G. N. 1961 Diurnal spore release ofPiricularia oryzae from rice leaves.Phytopathology 51: 313–317

    Google Scholar 

  • Beckerman J. L. and EbboleD. J. 1996 MPG1, a gene encoding a fungal hydrophobin ofMagnaporthe grisea, is involved in surface recognition.Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 9: 450–456

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bruno K. S., Aramayo R., Minke P. F., Metzenberg R. L. and Plamann M. 1996 Loss of growth polarity and mislocalization of septa in a Neurospora mutant altered in the regulatory subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase.EMBO J. 15: 5772–5782

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen B., Gao S., Choi G. H. and Nuss D. L. 1996 Extensive alteration of fungal gene transcript accumulation and elevation of G-protein-regulated cAMP levels by a virulence-attenuating hypovirus.Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93: 7996–8000

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cid V. J. 1995 Molecular basis of cell integrity and morphogenesis inSaccharomyces cerevisiae.Microbiol. Rev. 59: 345–386

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clutterbuck A. J., Clutterbuck A. J. 1969 A mutational analysis of conidial development inAspergillus nidulans.Genetics 63: 317–327

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Corrochano L. M., Lauter F.-R., Ebbole D. J. and Yanofsky C. 1995 Light and developmental regulation of the genecon-10 of Neurospora crassa.Dev. Biol. 167: 190–200

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dean R. A., Lee Y.-H., Mitchell T. K. and Whitehead D. S. 1994 Signalling systems and gene expression regulating appressorium formation inMagnaporthe grisea. InRice blast disease (eds.) R. S. Zeigleret al, (Wallingford: CAB International) pp. 23–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Deutsch A., Dress A. and Rensing L. 1993 Formation of morphological differentiation patterns in the ascomyceteNeurospora crassa.Mech. Dev. 44: 17–31

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Edmondson D. G., Smith M. M. and Roth S. Y. 1996 Repression domain of the yeast global repressor Tup1 interacts directly with histones H3 and H4.Genes Dev. 10: 1247–1259

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gilbert R. D., Johnson A. M. and Dean R. A. 1996 Chemical signals responsible for appressorium formation in the rice blast fungusMagnaporthe grisea.Physiol. Mol. Plant Pathpl. 48: 335–346

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hamer, J. E., Valent B. and Chumley F. G. 1989 Mutations at the SMO genetic locus affect the shape of diverse cell types in the rice blast fungus.Genetics 122: 351–362

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Herskowitz I. 1995 MAP kinase pathways in yeast: for mating and more.Cell 80: 187–197

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Howard R. J. 1994 Cell biology of pathogenesis. InRice blast disease (eds.) R. S. Zeigleret al. (Wallingford: CAB International) pp. 3–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Lauter F.-R. and Yanofsky C. 1993 Day/night and circadian rhythm control ofcon gene expression in Neurospora.Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90: 8249–8253

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee B. N. and Adams T. H. 1994a TheAspergillus nidulans fluG gene is required for production of an extracellular developmental signal and is related to prokaryotic glutamine synthetase I.Genes Dev. 8: 641–651

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee B. N. and Adams T. H. 1994b Overexpression offlb A, an early regulator of Aspergillus asexual sporulation, leads to activation ofbrlA and premature initiation of development.Mol. Microbiol. 14: 323–334

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee B. N. and Adams T. H. 1995fluG andflb A function interdependently to initiate conidiophore development inAspergillus nidulans throughbrlAß activation.EMBO J. 15: 299–309

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee Y.-H. and Dean R. A. 1994 Hydrophobicity of contact surface induces appressorium formation inMagnaporthe grisea.FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 115: 71–76

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Madi L., Ebbole D. J., White B. T. and Yanofsky C. 1994 Mutants ofNeurospora crassa that alter gene expression and conidia development.Proc. Natl. Acad, Sci, USA 91: 6226–6230

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Maheshwari R. 1991 Microcycle conidiation and its genetic basis inNeurospora crassa.J. Gen. Microbiol. 137: 2103–2115

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell T. K. and Dean R. A. 1995 The cAMP-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit is required for appressorium formation and pathogenesis by the rice blast pathogenMagnaporthe grisea.Plant Cell 7: 1869–1978

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mueller J. P., Bukusoglu G. and Sonenshein A. L. 1992 Transcription al regulation ofBacillus subtilis glucose starvation-inducible genes: control ofgsiA by thecomP-comA signal transduction system.J. Bacterial. 174: 4361–4373

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mukai Y., Harashima S. and Oshima Y. 1991 AAR1/TUP1 protein, with a structure similar to that of the beta subunit of G proteins, is required for al-alpha 2 and alpha 2 repression in cell type control ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae.Mol. Cell Biol. 11: 3773–3779

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ninnemann H. 1991 Photostimulation of conidiation in mutants ofNeurospora crassa.J. Photochem. Photobiol. B: Biol. 9: 189–199

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Perkins D. D., Radford A., Newmeyer D. and Bjorkman M. 1982 Chromosomal loci ofNeurospora crassa.Microbiol. Rev. 46: 426–570

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Plamann M., Minke P. F., Tinsley J. H. and Bruno K. S. 1994 Cytoplasmic dynein and actin-related protein Arpl are required for normal nuclear distribution in filamentous fungi.J. Cell Biol. 127: 139–149

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Plesofsky-Vig N., Light D. and Brambl R. 1983 Paedogenetic conidiation inNeurospora crassa.Exp. Mycol. 7: 283–286

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ricci M., Krappmann D. and Russo V. E. A. 1991 Nitrogen and carbon starvation regulate conidia and protoperithecia formation ofNeurospora crassa.Fungal Genet. Newsl. 38: 87–88

    Google Scholar 

  • Sargent M. L. and Kaltenborn S. H. 1972 Effects of medium composition and carbon dioxide on circadian conidiation in Neurospora.Plant Physiol. 50: 171–175

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shi Z. and Leung H. 1995 Genetic analysis of sporulation inMagnaporthe grisea by chemical and insertional mutagenesis.Mol Plant-Microbe Interact. 6: 949–959

    Google Scholar 

  • Springer M. L. 1993 Genetic control of fungal differentiation: The three sporulation pathways ofNeurospora crassa.Bio Essays 15: 365–374

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Springer M. L. and Yanofsky C. 1989 A morphological and genetic analysis of conidiophore development inNeurospora crassa.Genes Dev. 3: 559–571

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Swift S., Throup J. P., Williams P., Salmond G. P. C. and Stewart G. S. A. B. 1996 Quorum sensing: a population-density component in the determination of bacterial phenotype.Trends Biochem. Sci. 21: 214–219

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Talbot N. J., Kershaw M. J., Wakley G. E., de Vries O. M. H., Wessels J. G. H. and Hamer J. E. 1996MPG1 encodes a fungal hydrophobin involved in surface interactions during infection-related development ofMagnaporthe grisea.Plant Cell 8: 985–999

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Timberlake 1990 Molecular genetics of Aspergillus development.Annu. Rev. Genet. 24: 5–36

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Turner G. E. and Borkovich K. A. 1993 Identification of a G Protein α subunit fromNeurospora crassa that is a member of the Gi family. J.Biol. Chem. 268: 14805–14811

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wessels J. G. H. 1996 Hydrophobins: Proteins that change the nature of the fungal surface.Adv. Microb. Physiol. 38: 1–45

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wieser J. and Adams T. H. 1995flbD encodes a myb-like DNA-binding protein that coordinates initiation ofAspergillus nidulans conidiophore development.Genes Dev. 9: 491–502

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wieser J., Lee B. N., Fondon J. W. III and Adams T. H. 1994 Genetic requirements for initiating asexual development inAspergillus nidulans.Curr. Genet. 27: 62–69

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu J.-R. and Hamer J. E. 1996 MAP kinase and cAMP signaling regulate infection structure formation and pathogenic growth in the rice blast fungusMagnaporthe grisea.Genes Dev. 10: 2696–2706

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu J.-R., Urban M., Sweigard J. A. and Hamer J. E. 1997 theCPKA gene ofMagnaporthe grisea is essential for appressorial penetration.Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 10: 187–194

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yamashiro C. T., Ebbole D. J., Lee B.-U., Brown R. E., Bourland C., Madi L. and Yanofsky C. 1996 Characterization ofrco-1 ofNeurospora crassa, a pleiotropic gene affecting growth and development that encodes a homologue of Tupl ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae.Mol. Cell. Biol 16: 6218–6228

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yarden O., Plamann M., Ebbole D. J. and Yanofsky C. 1992cot-1, a gene required for hyphal elongation inNeurospora crassa, encodes a protein kinase.EMBO J. 11: 2159–2166

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Program for the Biology of Filamentous Fungi, Texas A&M University, 77843-2132, College Station, TX, USA

    Daniel J. Ebbole

Authors
  1. Daniel J. Ebbole
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ebbole, D.J. Morphogenesis and vegetative differentiation in filamentous fungi. J. Genet. 75, 361–374 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02966315

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02966315

Keywords

Search

Navigation