Globose, unispored sporangium (Fig. 1), cylindrical unispored sporangium (Fig. 2), and zygospores between opposed suspensors (Fig. 3) of Mycotypha africana. Images provided by Kerry O'Donnell

Mycotypha africana R.O. Novak & Backus (1963) is a zygomycete fungus classified in the family Mycotyphaceae [Order Mucorales]. It was isolated from soils collected from Zimbabwe (Novak and Backus 1963). Mycotypha produces a cylindrical vesicle at the tip of simple or branched sporangiophores. The vesicle bears two types of small projections: 1) one that is short and bears a globose, unispored sporangium (Fig. 1), and 2) a longer one that give rise to a more cylindrical unispored sporangium (Fig. 2). This species is self-fertile or homothallic, bearing ornamented and pigmented zygospores between opposed suspensors (Fig. 3; Benny et al. 1985).  Species of Mycotypha are dimorphic and grow as a yeast in nutrient rich agar and as a filamentous colony on standard media.  Sequencing of M. africana will advance the 1000 Fungal Genome Project by providing a representative genome for Mycotyphaceae, an important family of “zygomycetes” and additional insight into the evolution of dimorphic growth in early diverging fungi.

References:
Benny, G.L., P. M. Kirk, and R. A. Samson. 1985. Observations on Thamnidiaceae (Mucorales). III. Mycotyphaceae fam. nov. and a re-evaluation of Mycotypha sensu Benny & Benjamin illustrated by two new species. Mycotaxon 22:119-148.
Novak RO, Backus MP. 1963. A new species of Mycotypha with a zygosporic stage. Mycologia 55:790-798.