Fungi and the evolution of growth form

1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (S1) ◽  
pp. 1206-1212 ◽  
Author(s):  
John H. Andrews
Keyword(s):  
Benthic Invertebrates ◽  
Growth Form ◽  
Morphological Plasticity ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Growth Forms ◽  
Developmental Constraint ◽  
Phylogenetic Constraint ◽  
Modular Class ◽  
Environmental Signals ◽  
Key Words Morphology

Fungi belong to the modular class of organisms characterized by an iterative, indeterminate mode of growth; internal age structure; localized rather than generalized senescence; cellular totipotency; and passive rather than active mobility. Growth form in the fungi therefore reflects their absorptive, sessile lifestyle. Aggregation/differentation of a few basic cell types gives rise to multicellular complexes associated with foraging, reproductive, survival, or dispersal activities. The morphological plasticity of fungi is analogous to but surpasses that of other modular creatures such as the benthic invertebrates and plants. For instance, in response to environmental signals, fungi can vary the timing, extent, and mode of differentiation; interconvert among different growth forms; and decouple the sexual and asexual phases of the life cycle. Evolutionary determinants of their form are phylogenetic constraint, adaptation, developmental constraint, ecophenotypic factors, and chance. Physiological determinants of their form relate primarily to morphogenesis of the cell wall and include the cytoskeleton and cytosis. Key words: morphology, morphogenesis, shape, allometry, modular, evolutionary.

scholarly journals The Roles of Chromatin Accessibility in Regulating the Candida albicans White-Opaque Phenotypic Switch

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Mohammad N. Qasim ◽  
Ashley Valle Arevalo ◽  
Clarissa J. Nobile ◽  
Aaron D. Hernday
Keyword(s):  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Chromatin Accessibility ◽  
Phenotypic Switching ◽  
Phenotypic Switch ◽  
Chromatin Remodelers ◽  
Environmental Signals ◽  
Cell Fate Decisions ◽  
Simple Model System

Candida albicans, a diploid polymorphic fungus, has evolved a unique heritable epigenetic program that enables reversible phenotypic switching between two cell types, referred to as “white” and “opaque”. These cell types are established and maintained by distinct transcriptional programs that lead to differences in metabolic preferences, mating competencies, cellular morphologies, responses to environmental signals, interactions with the host innate immune system, and expression of approximately 20% of genes in the genome. Transcription factors (defined as sequence specific DNA-binding proteins) that regulate the establishment and heritable maintenance of the white and opaque cell types have been a primary focus of investigation in the field; however, other factors that impact chromatin accessibility, such as histone modifying enzymes, chromatin remodelers, and histone chaperone complexes, also modulate the dynamics of the white-opaque switch and have been much less studied to date. Overall, the white-opaque switch represents an attractive and relatively “simple” model system for understanding the logic and regulatory mechanisms by which heritable cell fate decisions are determined in higher eukaryotes. Here we review recent discoveries on the roles of chromatin accessibility in regulating the C. albicans white-opaque phenotypic switch.

An Experimental Analysis of Macrophyte Growth Forms as Fish Foraging Habitat

1991 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele Dionne ◽  
Carol L. Folt
Keyword(s):  
Plant Growth ◽  
Growth Form ◽  
Plant Density ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Capture Rate ◽  
Habitat Associations ◽  
Growth Forms ◽  
Plant Growth Form ◽  
Macrophyte Growth ◽  
Capture Rates

In this laboratory study we measured the independent effects of macrophyte growth form, plant density, and prey abundance on the foraging rate of the pumpkinseed sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus). We demonstrate that macrophyte growth forms are not all similar in their effects on fish foraging. Prey capture rates of pumpkinseeds foraging among Scirpus validus (cylindrical stems) were 53 and 365% times greater than for Potamogeton amplifolius (leafy stems) for cladoceran (Sida crystallina) and larval damselfly (Coenagrionidae) prey, respectively. Plant growth form influenced prey capture rates more than charges in natural plant density. Plant density effects ranged from none on damselfly capture rates to a 29% decline in cladoceran capture rate over a twofold increase in plant density. Our results indicate that in plant-structured habitats, variation in plant growth form can be an important determinant of fish foraging and habitat associations.

scholarly journals Competitive interactions between corals and turf algae depend on coral colony form

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e1984 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Swierts ◽  
Mark JA Vermeij
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Growth Form ◽  
Coral Species ◽  
Competitive Interactions ◽  
General Nature ◽  
Benthic Organisms ◽  
Growth Forms ◽  
Coral Colony ◽  
Turf Algae

Turf algae are becoming more abundant on coral reefs worldwide, but their effects on other benthic organisms remain poorly described. To describe the general characteristics of competitive interactions between corals and turf algae, we determined the occurrence and outcomes of coral–turf algal interactions among different coral growth forms (branching, upright, massive, encrusting, plating, and solitary) on a shallow reef in Vietnam. In total, the amount of turf algal interaction, i.e., the proportion of the coral boundary directly bordering turf algae, was quantified for 1,276 coral colonies belonging to 27 genera and the putative outcome of each interaction was noted. The amount of turf algal interaction and the outcome of these interactions differed predictably among the six growth forms. Encrusting corals interacted most often with turf algae, but also competed most successfully against turf algae. The opposite was observed for branching corals, which rarely interacted with turf algae and rarely won these competitive interactions. Including all other growth forms, a positive relationship was found between the amount of competitive interactions with neighboring turf algae and the percentage of such interaction won by the coral. This growth form dependent ability to outcompete turf algae was not only observed among coral species, but also among different growth forms in morphologically plastic coral genera (Acropora, Favia, Favites, Montastrea, Montipora, Porites) illustrating the general nature of this relationship.

Growth forms in the Alismatales. II. Two rhizomatous species: Sagittaria lancifolia and Butomus umbellatus

1979 ◽  
Vol 57 (21) ◽  
pp. 2353-2373 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. M. Lieu
Keyword(s):  
Morphological Study ◽  
Growth Form ◽  
Bilateral Symmetry ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Axillary Bud ◽  
Growth Forms ◽  
Sagittaria Lancifolia ◽  
Adult Form ◽  
Lateral Bud ◽  
Made In

A comparative morphological study of Sagittaria lancifolia and Butomus umbellatus over their life cycles was undertaken. The two are very similar in adult form, characterized by apical bifurcation to form inflorescence and continuation growth as in other members of the Alismatidae.and also by rhizomatous growth with a subterminal apex. Embryo and seedling stages in S. lancifolia are comparable to other members of the Alismataceae previously studied. Rhizomatous form and bilateral symmetry are secondarily acquired during ontogeny. The inflorescence is leaf opposed and S. lancifolia is organizationally similar to other species of Alismataceae with upright vegetative axes. From this, a sympodial interpretation of the rhizome may be made. In contrast, the bilaterally symmetric growth form in Butomus is manifested from the start. The leaf-subtended inflorescence and other features of organization suggest that it cannot easily be compared with S. lancifolia or other members of Alismataceae. Here, a stronger case may be made for a monopodial construction. Axillary bud distributions support these conclusions. In addition, both species branch by a relatively precocious lateral bud associated topographically with the inflorescence.

scholarly journals Post-fire changes in plant growth form composition in Andean páramo grassland

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maya A. Zomer ◽  
Paul M. Ramsay
Keyword(s):  
Plant Growth ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Growth Form ◽  
Fire Suppression ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Growth Forms ◽  
Vegetation Height ◽  
Plant Growth Form ◽  
Soil Temperatures ◽  
Three Phases

AbstractQuestionsFire suppression policies have been widely adopted in the páramo grasslands of the northern Andes to protect their biodiversity and ecosystem services. Páramos have been regularly burned for many years, and it is not clear how páramo vegetation will respond to significant changes in their fire regimes. This study investigates differences in plant growth form composition, light levels and soil temperatures in páramo plots representing a range of recovery times since the last fire.LocationReserva Ecológica El Ángel and La Bretaña Nature Reserve, Carchi, Northern Ecuador.MethodsWe assessed the frequency of ten páramo growth forms, vegetation height, soil temperature, and light intensity in fifteen fire sites with historical records of fire (<1 – 15 years since fire), and one recently unburned site (at least 40 years since fire). A chronosquence of sites was used to assess potential changes in plant community composition in post-fire succession of páramo.ResultsThe recovery of páramo vegetation after fire comprised three phases: initial recruitment with high growth form diversity, followed by reduced diversity, light and soil temperatures in dense tussock vegetation, and ultimately canopy height stratification with a return of diversity. All but one plant growth forms were represented in each of the three phases, and the changes reflected differences in relative abundance.ConclusionsPost-fire páramo succession is characterized by clear shifts in the relative abundance of plant growth forms, ending with (co-)dominance of upright shrubs. The long-term consequences of such shifts for biodiversity and ecosystem function, given the widespread adoption of fire suppression policies in the páramo need careful, evidence-based consideration.

scholarly journals Important Medicinal Plants in Ethiopia: A Review in Years 2015–2020

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abebe Ayele Haile
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Growth Form ◽  
Review Paper ◽  
Traditional Healers ◽  
Route Of Administration ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Growth Forms ◽  
The People ◽  
Medicinal Value

Many studies on medicinal plants have been taking place in different parts of Ethiopia and the people use them for the preparation of traditional herbal medicine. The purpose of the current study is to review the assessment of the medicinal plants used in Ethiopia, to compile the components used, the method of preparation, the medical uses, and the compilation of the number of medicinal plants in 2015–2020. This review paper took place in the years 2015 to 2020 from the published papers. Various databases, such as Science Direct, PubMed, and Google Scholar, have been searched. The data were analyzed using frequency, percentages, charts, and numbers using the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet 2010. In Ethiopia, a total of 4,007 medicinal plants were identified from different areas by different authors in the years 2015–2020. But, from this total number of identified medicinal plants, there was a similarity between types of plant species. Therefore, this total result has present similarities in plant species and types found in different areas. In 2015, a total of 1,062 medicinal plants were identified from different areas by different authors. Similarly, 315, 613, 944, 341, 732 medicinal plants were identified by different authors in different study areas in the years 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 respectively. The years 2015 and 2018 were the years many plants of medicinal value were documented. The growth forms of medicinal plants were analyzed from 2015 to 2020 in the different study areas with different authors but with the same year and valued for each year and put the average one. To calculate the 2015 growth form of medicinal plants for example to calculate herbs, add all herbs identified by different authors in the same year, and take the average one. This method applied to all growth forms of medicinal plants each year. In all years (2015–2020) the dominant growth forms were herbs. The highest average of growth form was herb in the year 2020 which is 44.2%. In all years the least growth form was a climber. In all growth forms, the parts used for medicine were identified. Add each medicinal plant’s parts in the same year and then take the average for all years. In 2020 year, the traditional healers mostly used leaves (56.3%) for the preparation of remedy. In general, in all year leaves was dominant for the preparation of remedy. Oral and dermal ways of the route of administration were the most important in medicinal plants to treat directly different ailments. The route of administration was varying in percentage from year to year and also, a place to place according to the potential of traditional healers and type of diseases. But, different study areas and years showed that oral administration was the dominant one. In 2019, most of the prepared remedy was taken orally. Crushing was the most important and more cited in the preparation of remedy in the year 2015–2020. Also, powdering, boiling, chewing, concoction, grinding, direct and immediate, chopping, squeezing, decoction, boiling/unprocessed use, liquid form, Homogenizing in water, heating, cooking, smoking, and fumigation are common methods of preparation of remedy. In general, this review highlights the situation of Ethiopian traditional medicinal plants associated with their knowledge from years to years. In addition, this review paper plays an important role in the extraction of potential medicinal plants to discover new drugs through detailed researches in the future.

scholarly journals Transplantation Experiments with Caribbean Millepora Species (Hydrozoa, Coelenterata), Including Some Ecological Observations on Growth Forms

1981 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wallie H. de Weerdt
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Growth Form ◽  
Water Movement ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Growth Forms ◽  
Strong Current ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Transplantation Experiments

The historical background of the taxonomic problems in the fire-coral, Millepora, is reviewed. The growth forms of the Caribbean species: Millepora alcicornis Linnaeus, M. complanata Lamarck and M. squarrosa Lamarck are investigated in relation with environmental factors: water movement, current, light and turbidity. Several sites on Curaçao and Bonaire were visited and all forms of Millepora collected. The localities have been divided in biotopes and the relative frequencies of the growth forms in these biotopes were studied. Some relations between growth forms and environment were found: delicately branched forms appear in deeper, quieter waters, sturdy forms in sites with strong water movement, incrusting forms in turbid and also in turbulent sites. At sites with strong current Millepora corals are most abundant. The effect of transplantations on the growth forms of the three species has been studied. The transplantations caused changes in the growth form, which was most conspicuous in M. complanata.

scholarly journals An Opaque Cell-Specific Expression Program of Secreted Proteases and Transporters Allows Cell-Type Cooperation in Candida albicans

Genetics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 216 (2) ◽  
pp. 409-429
Author(s):  
Matthew B. Lohse ◽  
Lucas R. Brenes ◽  
Naomi Ziv ◽  
Michael B. Winter ◽  
Charles S. Craik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Opportunistic Pathogen ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Specific Expression ◽  
Environmental Signals ◽  
Single Genome ◽  
Distinct Cell ◽  
Secreted Proteases ◽  
Expression Program

An unusual feature of the opportunistic pathogen Candida albicans is its ability to switch stochastically between two distinct, heritable cell types called white and opaque. Here, we show that only opaque cells, in response to environmental signals, massively upregulate a specific group of secreted proteases and peptide transporters, allowing exceptionally efficient use of proteins as sources of nitrogen. We identify the specific proteases [members of the secreted aspartyl protease (SAP) family] needed for opaque cells to proliferate under these conditions, and we identify four transcriptional regulators of this specialized proteolysis and uptake program. We also show that, in mixed cultures, opaque cells enable white cells to also proliferate efficiently when proteins are the sole nitrogen source. Based on these observations, we suggest that one role of white-opaque switching is to create mixed populations where the different phenotypes derived from a single genome are shared between two distinct cell types.

Adaptive Evolution

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Jane West-Eberhard
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Evolution ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Adaptive Design ◽  
Late Nineteenth Century ◽  
Evolutionary Analysis ◽  
Developmental Constraint ◽  
Heritable Variation ◽  
Phylogenetic Constraint ◽  
Long Time ◽  
As If

Adaptive evolution—phenotypic improvement due to selection—is the central theme of Darwinian evolutionary biology. The concept of adaptive evolution by selection on heritable variation underlies every evolutionary analysis of form, function, and fitness. How biologists view adaptive evolution— how they are taught to view it—has a profound influence on thinking and research in virtually every area of biology. Despite the importance of adaptive evolution, there is still controversy over how to relate development and selection in discussions of adaptive design (e.g. see Charlesworth, 1990; Amundson, 1996). It is a controversy that began in the late nineteenth century, when biologists unfortunately began to dichotomize development and selection, as if they were opposing factors in evolution (see the discussion of gradualism in chapter 24). The modern version of this debate dichotomizes selection and developmental constraints (e.g., see Maynard Smith et al., 1985; Bell, 1989; Ridley, 1993; Amundson, 1996; see also chapter 1). Phylogenetic constraint is another version of developmental constraint, since it refers to limits imposed by ancestry (inherited developmental patterns) on current form as does the idea of developmental constraint. The dichotomy between selection and development, as if they were opposed factors in adaptive evolution, is misconceived. Adaptive evolution is a two-step process: first the generation of variation by development, then the screening of that variation by selection (Mayr, 1962; Endler and McLellan, 1988, p. 395). If an established trait (one widespread in a population) persists through phylogenetic branching events, this is not evidence against selection as an explanation for the trait (cf. Coddington, 1988), as if speciation reduces the importance of selection. Rather, it could be taken as evidence that selection is important for maintenance of the trait in more than one lineage: trait persistence over long time spans certainly does not represent absence of continued selection, since it is known that traits no longer favored by selection, such as the eyes of cave animals and walking limbs in whales, are often lost (for other classic examples, see Rensch, 1960).

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