Common%20Fungal%20Spores

1
Common Fungal Spores

• Estelle Levetin, PhD

2
Fungal Spore Characteristics

• Spore size
• Spore shape
• Number of cells
• Attachment Scars
• Wall characteristics
• Spore color

3
Spore Size, Shape, and Septation

• SIZE 2mm to 100 mm
• SHAPE Globose, elliptical, fusiform, asymmetric,
  lemon-shaped, barrel-shaped, curved
• SEPTATION Non-septate (one cell), single septum,
  transverse septa, transverse and longitudinal
  septa, random septa, pseudoseptate

4
Other Characteristics

• ATTACHMENTS Attachment scars, attachment pegs
• APPENDAGES
• WALL CHARACTERISTICS Smooth, granular,
  reticulate, spines, warts, wall thickness
• COLOR Hyaline (colorless) to deeply pigmented

5
Globose Barrel-shaped Non-septate Random septa
Lemon-shaped Club-shaped Transverse septa Attachment scars
Elliptical Curved Transverse and Longitudinal septa Ornaments spines
Asymmetric and germ pore Cylindrical Pseudoseptate Appendages
6
Spore color
7
Asexual Spores

• Also known as Deuteromycetes, Fungi Imperfecti
  (imperfect fungi),
• or Mitospores

8
Asexual Spores

• Typically the most abundant spores in the
  atmosphere
• Conidia often formed on specialized hyphae called
  conidiophores
• Asexual stage of ascomycetes
• Look for attachment scars where the spores were
  attached to the conidiophore

9
Cladosporium
10
Cladosporium
Note the septum
11
Several species of Cladosporium are common in the
atmosphere
12
Note the prominent attachment scars on
Cladosporium conidia
13
Alternaria
14
Alternaria
15
Curvularia
16
Nigrospora
Curvularia
Drechslera
17
Drechslera-type spores

• Several genera of fungi have similar cylindrical
  spores
• Drechslera
• Bipolaris
• Exserohilum
• Helminthosporium

18
Drechslera-type spores
19
Pithomyces
20
Note the colorless attachment at the base of
Pithomyces spores
21
Epicoccum
22
Penicillium species

• Produce distinctive conidiophores (spore bearing
  structures)
• Spores are usually spherical to oval and form in
  chains

23
Aspergillus species

• Produce distinctive conidiophores (spore bearing
  structures)
• Spores are usually spherical to oval and form in
  chains

24
Penicillium-Aspergillus type spores
25
Nigrospora
Nigrospora Culture
Air Sample
26
Periconia
27
Botrytis
Cercospora
Cladosporium
28
Polythrincium
Peronospora
29
Oidium
30
Tetraploa
31
Torula
32
Stemphylium
33
Spegazzinia
34
Fusarium
35
Stachybotrys
36
Division Ascomycota
37
Ascospores are produced in an ascus. Eight
ascospores are found in each ascus without any
attachment scars
38
Ascospores are sometimes found in groups of
eight in air samples
39
Leptosphaeria ascospores
40
Chaetomium ascospores
41
Pleospora ascospores
42
Diatrypella ascospores
43
Sporomiella ascospores
44
Venturia ascospores
45
Many ascospores on a rainy day
46
Division Basidiomycota
47
Basidiospore
Basidium
48
Ganoderma basidiospores
49
Other basidiospores that are easy to recognize
Coprinus
Agrocybe - type
50
Coprinus and Ganoderma basidiospores
51
Psathyrella
Psathyrella velutina
Russula
Stropharia
52
Lycoperdon
Calvatia
Pisolithus
Scleroderma
53
Rust spores Puccinia
Puccinia uredospores
Puccinia teliospores
54
Smut Spores
55
Smut Spores
56
Myxomycete (slime mold) spores
57
Other slime mold spores