Unusual basidal development and nuclear behaviour in the microcyclic rust fungus Puccina boriniae

摘要

Rust fungi exhibit a large diversity in their basidial development. The typical cycle represented in many textbooks is a haploid binucleate teliospore undergoing karyogamy and meiosis to germinate and produce four haploid basidiospores on a four celled metabasidium. This behaviour is most often seen in the macro- and demicyclic rust species. However, great variation from this 'norm' is often present in microcyclic rust species.ududPuccinia boroniae is a microcyclic rust species endemic to Australia. The objectives of this study were to examine basidial development over time, and the nuclear behaviour during teliospore germination.