Sarah Brown
Basidiomycete mushrooms are a large and diverse phylum of fungi that includes jelly and shelf fungi, puffballs, stinkhorns, and certain yeasts. They are typically filamentous fungi composed of hyphae and reproduce sexually via the formation of specialized club-shaped end cells called basidia that normally bear external spores called basidiospores. The lifecycle of basidiomycetes includes both sexual and asexual reproduction, with most species reproducing sexually. The mushrooms in this phylum are commonly seen in fields and growing on lawns and include edible and poisonous varieties.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | One of two large divisions that, together with the Ascomycota, constitute the subkingdom Dikarya (often referred to as the "higher fungi") within the kingdom Fungi. Members are known as basidiomycetes. |
| Members | Agarics, puffballs, stinkhorns, bracket fungi, other polypores, jelly fungi, boletes, chanterelles, earth stars, smuts, bunts, rusts, mirror yeasts, and Cryptococcus, the human pathogenic yeast. |
| Composition | Filamentous fungi composed of hyphae (except for basidiomycota-yeast). |
| Reproduction | Most reproduce sexually via the formation of specialized club-shaped end cells called basidia that normally bear external meiospores (usually four). These specialized spores are called basidiospores. However, some Basidiomycota are obligate asexual reproducers. |
| Basidia | Basidia are microscopic but they are often produced on or in multicelled large fructifications called basidiocarps or basidiomes, or fruitbodies, variously called mushrooms, puffballs, etc. |
| Basidiospores | Basidiospores are formed on sterigmata which are tapered spine-like projections on basidia, and are typically curved, like the horns of a bull. |
| Basidiomycetes | Basidiomycetes produce both haploid and dikaryotic mycelia, with the dikaryotic phase being dominant. |
| Basidiocarp | A basidiocarp is a fruiting body that protrudes from the ground; this is what we think of as a mushroom. |
| Habitat | Basidiomycete mushrooms are found in both terrestrial and aquatic habitats. |
| Uses | Basidiomycete fungi play a pivotal role in global edible mushroom production. Some also have medicinal properties. |
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What You'll Learn
- Basidiomycota are a large and diverse phylum of fungi, also known as 'higher fungi'
- Basidiomycetes reproduce sexually and asexually, producing spores called basidiospores
- Basidiomycetes include edible mushrooms, as well as some that produce deadly toxins
- Basidiomycetes are used in applied mycology and fungal biotechnology due to their medicinal and nutritional properties
- Basidiomycetes include smuts and rusts, which are important plant pathogens
Basidiomycota are a large and diverse phylum of fungi, also known as 'higher fungi'
Basidiomycota is a large and diverse phylum of fungi, also known as the higher fungi. It is one of two large divisions that, together with the Ascomycota, constitute the subkingdom Dikarya. Basidiomycota includes groups such as agarics, puffballs, stinkhorns, bracket fungi, jelly fungi, boletes, chanterelles, earth stars, smuts, bunts, rusts, mirror yeasts, and Cryptococcus, a human pathogenic yeast.
Basidiomycota are filamentous fungi composed of hyphae, except for basidiomycota-yeast. They reproduce sexually via the formation of specialised club-shaped end cells called basidia, which normally bear external meiospores, usually four in number. These specialised spores are called basidiospores. However, some Basidiomycota reproduce asexually. Basidia are microscopic but are often produced on or in multicelled large fructifications called basidiocarps or basidiomes, or fruitbodies, which are often referred to as mushrooms.
Basidiomycetes are known from both terrestrial and aquatic habitats and include important plant pathogens, such as wheat rust and corn smut, as well as edible mushrooms. The most diagnostic feature of the basidiomycetes is the basidium, a generally club-shaped cell where nuclear fusion (karyogamy) takes place and the structure upon which the sexual spores (basidiospores) are produced. Some basidia are borne on complex, multicellular fruiting bodies, for example, the mushrooms. Other basidiomycete features include hyphal outgrowths termed clamp connections, and the presence of a dikaryon phase in the life cycle, a condition in which each cell in the thallus contains two nuclei.
Basidiomycetes play a pivotal role in global edible mushroom production. For example, the ear fungus (Auricularia auricula-judae) is a brown, gelatinous edible fungus found on dead tree trunks in moist weather in the autumn. It is one of 10 widespread Auricularia species and is ear- or shell-shaped. Another example is the Cantharellus mushroom, which is noteworthy for its nutritional properties as well as medicinal values.
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Basidiomycetes reproduce sexually and asexually, producing spores called basidiospores
Basidiomycetes are members of the Basidiomycota division, which, together with Ascomycota, constitute the subkingdom Dikarya, often referred to as the "higher fungi". Basidiomycetes include some of the most familiar fungi, including mushrooms, puffballs, and shelf fungi. They are filamentous fungi composed of hyphae, except for basidiomycota-yeast.
Basidiomycetes can also reproduce asexually through budding or asexual spore formation. Budding occurs when an outgrowth of the parent cell is separated into a new cell. Asexual spore formation, on the other hand, takes place at the ends of specialized structures called conidiophores. The septa of terminal cells become fully defined, dividing a random number of nuclei into individual cells. The cell walls then thicken into a protective coat, and the protected spores break off and are disbursed.
Some Basidiomycota are obligate asexual reproducers, and they can be typically recognized as members of this division by gross similarity to others. For example, the genus Filobasidiella forms basidia on hyphae, but the main infectious stage is commonly known by the anamorphic yeast name Cryptococcus.
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Basidiomycetes include edible mushrooms, as well as some that produce deadly toxins
Basidiomycota is a large and diverse phylum of fungi that includes mushrooms, puffballs, stinkhorns, jelly fungi, and many other types of fungi. Members of Basidiomycota are known as basidiomycetes. Basidiomycetes are mushroom-producing fungi that sometimes have "gill-like" structures on the underside of their caps, leading to their other name, "gill fungi".
Basidiomycetes are typically filamentous fungi composed of hyphae. They reproduce sexually through the formation of club-shaped end cells called basidia, which normally bear four external spores called basidiospores. However, some basidiomycetes reproduce asexually. The basidiospores are discharged and start new haploid mycelia called monokaryons. There are no males or females; instead, there are compatible thalli with multiple compatibility factors.
Basidiomycetes include edible mushrooms, such as the ear mushroom (Auricularia), which accounts for nearly 17% of the world's commercial mushroom production, and the second most popular edible mushroom, shiitake (Lentinula edodes). Cantharellus and Craterellus are also edible mushrooms within the basidiomycetes phylum that are noteworthy for their nutritional and medicinal properties.
However, some basidiomycetes produce deadly toxins. For example, Cryptococcus neoformans, a type of basidiomycete, causes severe respiratory illness.
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Basidiomycetes are used in applied mycology and fungal biotechnology due to their medicinal and nutritional properties
Basidiomycetes are a diverse group of fungi, constituting the second-largest phylum of the fungal kingdom. They are characterised by their ability to form specialised club-shaped end cells called basidia, which typically bear four external spores known as basidiospores. Basidiomycetes include both macroscopic and microscopic fungi, ranging from mushrooms, brackets, and jelly fungi to rusts, smuts, and yeasts. They reproduce sexually through the formation of basidia and spores, although some species reproduce asexually.
Basidiomycetes play a crucial role in global edible mushroom production, with certain species being prized for their nutritional and medicinal properties. For example, the Cantharellus and Craterellus genera are well-known for their nutritional and medicinal values. Additionally, the shiitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes) is the second most popular edible mushroom globally and has been the subject of biotechnology research aimed at constructing a heat-resistant strain.
Basidiomycetes have important applications in biotechnology and industry due to their wealth of metabolites, biosynthetic pathways, and survival mechanisms. They are studied in applied mycology and fungal biotechnology for their potential in bioremediation, pollutant removal, and antimicrobial research. For instance, Tao et al. investigated the role of a putative GTP cyclohydrolase I in hyphal branching and fruiting body formation in Cyclocybe aegerita, an edible mushroom cultivated in Asia.
Furthermore, basidiomycetes have a long history of use in traditional medicine. They are also a source of psychotropic substances consumed for religious purposes. However, it is important to note that while most edible fungi belong to the phylum Basidiomycota, some basidiomycetes produce deadly toxins. Therefore, while they offer medicinal and nutritional benefits, they can also pose dangers such as poisoning or infection if not properly understood and utilised.
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Basidiomycetes include smuts and rusts, which are important plant pathogens
Basidiomycetes are members of the Basidiomycota division, which, together with Ascomycota, constitute the subkingdom Dikarya, often referred to as the "higher fungi". Basidiomycota includes groups such as agarics, puffballs, stinkhorns, bracket fungi, jelly fungi, and rusts and smuts, which are important plant pathogens.
Rust fungi are plant pathogens in the subphylum Pucciniomycotina that infect one or more host species. They have complex life cycles that can involve multiple hosts and up to five different spore stages. Autoecious rusts infect the same host species, while heteroecious rusts require multiple plant hosts to complete their life cycle. Rust fungi are parasitic on angiosperms, especially grasses and sedges. They are also known to infect palms, with the fungus appearing on the leaves as dark, subepidermal pustules that rupture the epidermis as the fungus matures.
Smuts are the third subphylum within Basidiomycota. They form saprotrophic yeasts and can play various ecological roles, but they are most well-known for their plant pathogens. Smut fungi are distributed worldwide and are important pathogens of crop plants, including corn, wheat, barley, oats, rice, and sugarcane. For example, the smut fungus (Malassezia) lives on the oils produced on human skin and can cause dandruff on the scalp.
Basidiomycetes include smuts and rusts, which are significant plant pathogens that can infect a wide range of host species, including important crop plants. These fungi have complex life cycles and can cause diseases in plants, impacting agriculture and ecosystems.
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Frequently asked questions
Basidiomycete mushrooms are also known as gill fungi because of the presence of gill-like structures on the underside of their caps. They are a type of mushroom-producing basidiomyces.
Basidiomycete mushrooms have a club-shaped spore-bearing organ (basidium) that usually produces four sexual spores (basidiospores). The basidia are borne on large fruiting bodies (basidiocarps) which are large and conspicuous.
Examples of basidiomycete mushrooms include the ear mushroom, the second most popular edible mushroom shiitake, and the ear fungus.
