Home • Linderina pennispora ATCC 12442 v1.0
Linderina pennispora ATCC 12442
Scanning electron micrograph of sporocladium bear numerous unispored sporangiola borne on pseudophialides (x1600). Photo credit: Kerry O'Donnell, USDA ARS NCAUR

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)