Linderina pennispora is a saprotrophic member of the
Kickxellales (Kickxellomycotina), among the lineages classically
considered zygomycetes. The fungus, and the other species of
Linderina, L. macrospora, have been isolated from
soil but are considered extremely rare. L. pennispora
species produces distinctive structures during asexual sporulation
forming large clusters of merosporangia borne on a single
sporocladium. The merosporangia have been shown to have a slight
appendage of unknown function, whose homology to the appendaged
trichospore observed in the related Harpellales has been speculated
(Zain et al. 2012). Sexual reproduction is unknown in the group.
The mycelia, like other Kickxellomycotina, is septate with septa
possessing a central pore containing a lenticular cavity occluded
by an electron dense material of unknown composition. The mycelia
is pigmented brightly yellow and grows well on rich nutrient
agar.
Phylogenetic analyses place Linderina among Kickxellales,
which is sister to the gut fungus Orphella (White et al.
2006). The genome and transcriptome of Linderina are being
analyzed as part of the 1000 Fungal Genomes project. Our knowledge
of genetics and biology of the early diverging fungal lineages,
such as Kickxellomycotina, is scanty, and a working genome sequence
will aid in studies of comparative biology and
bioprospecting.
References
White, M. M., T. Y. James, K. O’Donnell, M. J. Cafaro, Y.
Tanabe, and J. Sugiyama. (2006). Phylogeny of the Zygomycota based
on nuclear ribosomal sequence data. Mycologia 98: 872-884.
Zain, M. E., S. T. Moss, H. H. El-Sheikh. (2012). Development of
merosporangia in Linderina pennispora (Kickxellales,
Kickxellaceae). IMA Fungus 3: 103-108.
Genome Reference(s)
Mondo SJ, Dannebaum RO, Kuo RC, Louie KB, Bewick AJ, LaButti K, Haridas S, Kuo A, Salamov A, Ahrendt SR, Lau R, Bowen BP, Lipzen A, Sullivan W, Andreopoulos BB, Clum A, Lindquist E, Daum C, Northen TR, Kunde-Ramamoorthy G, Schmitz RJ, Gryganskyi A, Culley D, Magnuson J, James TY, O'Malley MA, Stajich JE, Spatafora JW, Visel A, Grigoriev IV
Widespread adenine N6-methylation of active genes in fungi.
Nat Genet. 2017 Jun;49(6):964-968. doi: 10.1038/ng.3859