Biomechanics of Spore Release in Phytopathogens

Money, Nicholas P.; Fischer, Mark W. F.

doi:10.1007/978-3-540-87407-2_6

Cited by 9 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 80 publications

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“…The Xerula species examined in the present study show longer ranges but these are matched to the widely-spaced gills of their basidomata. The maximum predicted discharge distance of almost 2 mm for A. gigasporus will propel spores from the surface of the crustose basidiome to access faster moving air beyond the boundary layer of motionless air (Money and Fischer 2009). The short range of H. latitans , and other basidiomycetes with lilliputian spores, is sufficient to separate the spore from its sterigma, but these species must rely upon gravity and air turbulence for long-distance dispersal.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Species of Dipodascus (Saccharomycetes) extrude their slimy ascospores through the ascus apex, whereas spores of Neurospora and thousands of other Sordariomycetes are shot into the air at very high speeds and travel distances of a few millimeters to centimeters (Trail et al 2005; Trail 2007; Yafetto et al 2008). Pezizomycetes and Dothidiomycetes utilize similar mechanisms of spore discharge and some species achieve discharge distances of a few tenths of one meter (Money and Fischer 2009). …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ascospores can be propelled over distances of many centimeters after their explosive discharge from pressurized asci (Ingold 1971; Trail 2007). A similar mechanism fires the sporangia of Pilobolus over horizontal distances of up to 2.5 m, and the artillery fungus, Sphaerobolus , utilizes a snap-buckling mechanism to eject its spore-filled gleba up to 6 m from the fruit-body (Yafetto et al 2008; Money and Fischer 2009). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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How far and how fast can mushroom spores fly? Physical limits on ballistospore size and discharge distance in the Basidiomycota

et al. 2010

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Active discharge of basidiospores in most species of Basidiomycota is powered by the rapid movement of a droplet of fluid, called Buller’s drop, over the spore surface. This paper is concerned with the operation of the launch mechanism in species with the largest and smallest ballistospores. Aleurodiscus gigasporus (Russulales) produces the largest basidiospores on record. The maximum dimensions of the spores, 34 × 28 µm, correspond to a volume of 14 pL and to an estimated mass of 17 ng. The smallest recorded basidiospores are produced by Hyphodontia latitans (Hymenochaetales). Minimum spore dimensions in this species, 3.5 × 0.5 µm, correspond to a volume of 0.5 fL and mass of 0.6 pg. Neither species has been studied using high-speed video microscopy, but this technique was used to examine ballistospore discharge in species with spores of similar sizes (slightly smaller than A. gigasporus and slightly larger than those of H. latitans). Extrapolation of velocity measurements from these fungi provided estimates of discharge distances ranging from a maximum of almost 2 mm in A. gigasporus to a minimum of 4 µm in H. latitans. These are, respectively, the longest and shortest predicted discharge distances for ballistospores. Limitations to the distances traveled by basidiospores are discussed in relation to the mechanics of the discharge process and the types of fruit-bodies from which the spores are released.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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How far and how fast can mushroom spores fly? Physical limits on ballistospore size and discharge distance in the Basidiomycota

et al. 2010

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“…In many fungi, multiple spores are attached to one another, or are formed within sporangia, producing larger projectiles. Pressurized squirt guns blast spores individually, tethered together, or within sporangia over distances of up to 2.6 meters (Yafetto et al 2008); a catapult powered by fluid movement discharges single spores of mushroom-forming fungi and their relatives over a maximum distance of 1.3 mm (Stolze-Rybczynski et al 2009), and the explosive formation of gas bubbles (cavitation) launches conidia a few millimeters from the parent colony (Meredith 1963; Money and Fischer 2009). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Solving the aerodynamics of fungal flight: how air viscosity slows spore motion

et al. 2010

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Viscous drag causes the rapid deceleration of fungal spores after high-speed launches and limits discharge distance. Stokes' law posits a linear relationship between drag force and velocity. It provides an excellent fit to experimental measurements of the terminal velocity of free-falling spores and other instances of low Reynolds number motion (Re<1). More complex, non-linear drag models have been devised for movements characterized by higher Re, but their effectiveness for modeling the launch of fast-moving fungal spores has not been tested. In this paper, we use data on spore discharge processes obtained from ultra-high-speed video recordings to evaluate the effects of air viscosity predicted by Stokes' law and a commonly used non-linear drag model. We find that discharge distances predicted from launch speeds by Stokes' model provide a much better match to measured distances than estimates from the more complex drag model. Stokes' model works better over a wide range projectile sizes, launch speeds, and discharge distances, from microscopic mushroom ballistospores discharged at <1 m/s over a distance of <0.1 mm (Re<1.0), to macroscopic sporangia of Pilobolus that are launched at >10 m/s and travel as far as 2.5 m (Re>100).

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“…We presume that two (or more) processes are responsible for the spore charge, and able to explain the bipolar distribution of primary charges in spore populations. The micromechanical processes involved in the ballistosporic discharge mechanism are similar throughout all the ballistosporic basidiomycetes [16,17]. Therefore, biochemical processes might be responsible for the differences between the spore populations in the polarity distribution of spore charges.…”

Section: E (As [1·35±0·12]×10mentioning

confidence: 99%

Primary basidiospore charge and taxonomy of Agaricomycetes

Saar

Parmasto

2014

Open Life Sciences

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This article deals with the polarity of electrostatic charges that are carried on ballistic basidiospores after their liberation from fruiting bodies. The spores were collected by placing a portable device beneath the basidiome and allowing them to fall in a horizontal homogeneous electrostatic field, created by vertical parallel plane electrodes. Thus, the experimental setup enabled to investigate the primary charges, the charges present on spores immediately after the release from spore bearing cells. Spores of 135 basidiomes of 50 species of hymenomycetous fungi were collected in various natural conditions. The non-turgescent (drying up, collapsing or ceasing to sporulate) basidiomes were excluded from the taxonomical analysis; the 128 turgescent basidiomes (223 spore samples) of 47 species were taxonomically analyzed. These species represented eight orders (Agaricomycetes, Basidiomycota), covering 21 families and 36 genera. The analysis showed that the spore charges were distributed according to the polarity similarly in all samples in a species, and in a genus. In most cases also genera of one family had the same type of polarity distribution of spore charges. Possibly all taxa from species to monophyletic families are characterized by specific type of polarity of the primary electrostatic charge of basidiospores. Depending on the taxonomical group, all spore charges were negative, positive, or both negative and positive charges were present. This information could be useful in investing the ballistosporic discharge mechanism and for constructing higher-level phylogeny.

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Biomechanics of Spore Release in Phytopathogens

Cited by 9 publications

References 80 publications

How far and how fast can mushroom spores fly? Physical limits on ballistospore size and discharge distance in the Basidiomycota

How far and how fast can mushroom spores fly? Physical limits on ballistospore size and discharge distance in the Basidiomycota

Solving the aerodynamics of fungal flight: how air viscosity slows spore motion

Primary basidiospore charge and taxonomy of Agaricomycetes

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