scholarly journals The Distribution of Mating-Type Bias in Natural Populations of the Anther-Smut Ustilago violacea on Silene alba in Virginia

Mycologia ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 90 (3) ◽  
pp. 372 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. V. Oudemans ◽  
H. M. Alexander ◽  
J. Antonovics ◽  
S. Altizer ◽  
P. H. Thrall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mating Type ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Ustilago Violacea ◽  
Silene Alba ◽  
Anther Smut

Conjugation in Ustilago violacea. I. Morphology

1974 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. H. Poon ◽  
J. Martin ◽  
A. W. Day
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Mating Type ◽  
Electron Micrographs ◽  
Cell Walls ◽  
Plasma Membranes ◽  
Smut Fungus ◽  
Type Ii ◽  
Opposite Mating Type ◽  
Ustilago Violacea ◽  
Anther Smut

Conjugation in the anther smut fungus, Ustilago violacea, is described and five stages are characterized viz. (i) intimate pairing of cells of opposite mating type; (ii) development of bumps from each cell at the point of pairing. The cell walls of opposing pegs are fused, but the plasma membranes are not yet affected; (iii) elongation of the bumps into pegs; (iv) dissolution of the walls and plasma membranes of opposing pegs at the point of contact, and the formation of a tube; (v) elongation of the tube to the mature mating configuration (about 5 μm). Electron micrographs and Nomarski interference contrast micrographs of this sequence are illustrated. The assembly of the conjugation tube begins as early as 1.5 h after the cells are mixed on mating medium and is completed in about 45 min. Even in asynchronous populations there is a burst of synchronous mating, followed by later asynchronous mating. Observations on the ability to mate of unbudded and budded cells support the evidence from cell cycle work that allele a1 mates only in the G1 phase (unbudded) while allele a2 is competent to mate during all phases.

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