Transmission electron microscopy of Tuberculina species (Helicobasidiales) reveals an unique mode of conidiogenesis within Basidiomycota

Abstract

Tuberculina species represent the asexual life stage of the plant-parasitic sexual genus Helicobasidium. Tuberculina species are distributed all over the world, living in antagonistic symbiosis with over 150 rust species from at least 15 genera. Within the Basidiomycota, besides the spermogonia of rust fungi, only Tuberculina species develop distinct fructifications in the haplophase. However, the knowledge of conidiogenesis in Tuberculina is meagre. Therefore, conidial development in Tuberculina maxima, Tuberculina persicina, and Tuberculina sbrozzii was studied using transmission electron microscopy, and compared to each other as well as to spermatia formation in rust fungi. Significant ultrastructural characteristics such as the movement of nuclei in the process of conidium formation, and formation of the initial and late stages of conidiogenesis are documented. The mode of conidiogenesis of Tuberculina species is unique within the Basidiomycota in that (1) it is realized by haploid fructifications, (2) it is holoblastic, without annellidic proliferation, (3) the nucleus of the conidiogenous cell moves towards the forming conidium, divides, and no daughter nucleus remains inside the conidiogenous cell, and (4) the conidiogenous cell retains only cytoplasmic residues after the development of a single conidium, and a successive conidium is not produced.