Mitosis in the rice blast fungus and its possible implications for pathogenic variability
Mitosis in Pyricularia oryzae was reexamined, using both living and stained specimens. During prophase, the spindle pole body becomes quiescent and separates into two parts. The nucleolus disperses as chromosomes become visible. At metaphase, the spindle pole bodies are situated at the ends of the intranuclear spindle to which the chromosomes are attached at different points along its length. Anaphase A disjunction of chromatids is asynchronous; consequently, lagging chromosomes are typical. Anaphase B involves a marked elongation of the central spindle as first one incipient daughter nucleus and then the other migrates out of the original, intact nuclear envelope. During telophase, the central spindle and remainder of the nuclear envelope disappear, the chromatin returns to the dispersed state, and the nucleolus reappears. Contrary to earlier reports, mitosis in P. oryzae is virtually identical with that now known to be typical for other Ascomycetes, such as Ceratocystis and Nectria. The high frequency of pathogenic variability in P. oryzae could result from aneuploidy, and several mechanisms by which aneuploidy could arise are postulated.