Open AccessThe release of elongated, sheathed ascospores from bottle‐shaped asci in Dipodascus geniculatus
Author(s) -
Van Heerden Ané,
Van Wyk Pieter W.J.,
Botes Piet J.,
Pohl Carolina H.,
Strauss Catharina J.,
Nigam Santosh,
Kock Johan L.F.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
fems yeast research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.991
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 1567-1364
pISSN - 1567-1356
DOI - 10.1111/j.1567-1364.2006.00177.x
Subject(s) - ascus (bryozoa) , ascospore , biology , oxylipin , botany , turgor pressure , spore , biochemistry , gene
Yeasts use different mechanisms to release ascospores of different lengths from bottle‐shaped asci. Round to oval‐shaped ascospores are enveloped in oxylipin‐coated compressible sheaths, enabling ascospores to slide past each other when they reach the narrowing ascus neck. However, more elongated ascospores do not contain sheaths, but are linked by means of oxylipin‐coated interlocked hooked ridges on the surfaces of neighboring ascospores, thereby keeping them aligned while they are pushed towards the ascus tip by turgor pressure. In this study, we found elongated, oxylipin‐coated sheathed ascospores in Dipodascus geniculatus that are released effectively from bottle‐shaped asci without alignment. This is possible because the ascus neck and opening have a diameter that is the same as the length of the ascospore, thus allowing the ascospores to turn sideways without blocking the ascus when they are released. We found that increased concentrations of acetylsalicylic acid inhibit both ascospore release and 3‐hydroxy oxylipin production in this yeast, thereby implicating this oxylipin in sexual reproduction.