Fungal hyphae

Why should contact between shrunken cells be damaging One possibility is that the contacts induce damaging membrane-membrane fusion, for close contact between shnmken cells has been found to induce membrane fusion above 0 °C. Moreover, freezing has been shown to induce fusion in model membranes (Anchor-doguy et al., 1987) and to produce changes in fungal hyphae that are symptomatic of fusion (Fujikawa and Miura, 1986). 

R. L. Peterson, P. Bonfante, A. Faccio, and Y. Uetake, The interface between fungal hyphae and orchid protocorni cells. Can. J. Bot. 74 1861 (1996). 

Procedure for Fluorescence Labeling the Motile Tubular-Vacuole System in Fungal Hyphae with 6CF (41-43)... 

Czymmek KJ, Bourett TM, Howard RJ. Immunolocalisation of tubulin and actin in thick-sectioned fungal hyphae after freeze-substitution fixation and methacrylate de-embedment. JMicrosc 1996 181 153-161. 

Elmholt, S. and A. Kj oiler (1987). Measurement of the Length of Fungal Hyphae by the Membrane Filter Technique as a Method for Comparing Fungal Occurrence in Cultivated Field Siols. Soil Biol. Biochem 19 (6) 679-682. 

Ascogenous Hypha A fungal hypha which produces, or is capable of producing, asci. 

The mechanism for increasing permeability is illustrated in Figure 1. This shows a fungal hyphae growing inside a cell lumen and a branch has formed at the pit aperature so that it can penetrate into the next cell. If this occurs frequently enough, it would effectively increase the permeability. 

Figure 1. A fungal hyphae growing inside the lumen of a tracheid. Note how the hyphae is branched to penetrate the pit membrane. (Courtesy of I. B. Sachs)...

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