Deuteromycota

The division Deuteromycota is also called the Fungi Imperfecti or Imperfect Fungi referring
to our "imperfect" knowledge of their complete life cycles. The Deuteromycota are
characterized by production of septate mycelium and/or yeasts, and a sexual life cycle that is
either unknown or absent. Asexual reproduction is by means of conidia (sing.=conidium) or
may be lacking. A conidium may be defined as an asexual spore that is not produced in a
sporangium. Where sexual reproduction has been determined for species in this taxon, the
sexual stage is usually referrable to the Ascomycota or Basidiomycota. Ideally, once the
sexual stage has been determined, that species should be reclassified and placed in the
appropriate subdivision. However, this did not prove to be practical since many species are
known best by their asexual stage. Thus, a compromise was reached and both the asexual and
sexual stage are recognized. As previously discussed in the Ascomycota, when both sexual
and asexual stages are known to occur in a life cycle, they are referred to as telomorph and
anamorph, respectively. There are a number of different classification schemes for this group
of fungi. However, keep in mind that since we are not working with sexual stages here that
the classification schemes used to classify the Deuteromycota is artificial and is not intended
to show relationship between the taxa. We will recognize a single class: Deuteromycetes and
four orders:
Order: Moniliales
Conidia and conidiophore produced on mycelium (Fig. 1-2).

Figure 1: Conidiophores of Ulocladium and a single conidium. Conidia

in this order are produced directly on hyhal cell or specialized hyphal
cells called conidiophores.

Figure 2: Conidia of Alternaria tenuis are borne in chains

Order: Sphaeropsidales
Conidia and conidiophore produced in pycnidia (sing.=pycnidium): A fruiting body of
variable shape and size, e.g., globose, flask-shaped, disk-shaped, etc., in which conidia and
conidiophore are borne (Fig. 3).

Figure 4: Pycnidium of Chaetomella. Unlike most pycnidium, this genus

does not have a closed, flasked-shaped pycnidium. It is a bowl-shaped
structure with many setae: dark, thick-walled hairs.

Figure 5: Conidia of Chaetomella are bean-shaped.

Order: Melanconiales
Conidia and conidiohore produced in acervuli (sing.=acervulus): A plate-like stroma on
which conidia and conidiophore are borne (Figs. 6-8).

Figure 6: Acervulus of Pestalotia sp. The acervulus is covered by

dark conidia

Figure 7: Acervulus at a slightly higher magnification, with fewer

conidia. The acervulus appears to be almost cellular because of
its tightly interwoven hyphae.

Figure 8: Conidia of Pestalotia are very distinctive.The end cells

with the single appendage is where the conidia were attached and
the other end of the conidium has two to three appendages.
Micrographs were taken under phase optics.

Order: Mycelia Sterlia

Mycelium sterile, conidia not produced. Thus, in order to identify these fungi, other
characteristics must be utilized. For example, sclerotia (sing.= sclerotium) may be produced
(Fig. 9). A sclerotium is a usually rounded structure composed of mass of hyphae, which is
normally sterile. Such a structure serves as a "resistant" stage which may give rise to
mycelium, fruitbodies or stromata. Some genera may also have distinctive mycelia
characteristics that allow them to be identified (Fig. 10).

Figure 9: A sclerotium of the genus Sclerotium the genus Sclerotium

sp. is pictured. Taxa producing sclerotia differ in their apperance and
the differences in their morphology is the basis by which their genera
are defined.

Figure 10: The mycelium pictured at the left is typical of the genus
Rhizoctonia. The hypha is relatively broad and has a characteristic
branching pattern. Hyphal branches are oriented perpendicular from
their point of origin and are noticeably constricted at their
base. Immediately above the constriction, a septum is formed.
Once again, keep in mind that the classification schemes used to categorize the
Deuteromycota is artificial and has no meaning, with respect to phylogeny.
Parasexual Cycle
There are many species of Deuteromycota in which a sexual stage is not known. Of these,
there are, undoubtedly, species in which sexual reproduction occurs only in a restricted set of
environmental conditions so that the occurrence of the sexual stage is infrequent. However, it
is also apparent that some species have lost the ability to reproduce, sexually. Yet, many of
the Deuteromycota are highly successful in their environment. Since sexual reproduction is
the means by which genetic diversity is maintained in eukaryotic organisms, and diversity is
the the key to survival in species, how would a species that has apparently lost the ability to
reproduce, sexually, survive? A possible mechanism that provides an answer to this question
is the parasexual cycle. This is a process in which plasmogamy, karyogamy and
haploidization takes place, but not in any particular place in the thallus nor at any specific
period during its lifecycle.
Parasexuality was first discovered by Pontecorvo and Roper (1952) in Aspergillus nidulans.
During the parasexual cycle, the following events take place:
Formation of heterokaryotic mycelium (Fig. 1).
Occasional karyogamy between two nuclei to form diploid nuclei (Fig.2).
Mitosis of 2N and 1N nuclei.
Mitotic crossing over during mitosis of some diploid nuclei (Fig. 3).
Haploidization (not meiosis) of some diploid nuclei (Fig. 4).
Sorting out of new haploid strains.
Figure 1. Heterokaryon formation refers to the
condition by which genetically different nuclei are
associated in a common cytoplasm. The most common
way in which this can occur is by anastomosis (fusion)
of genetically different hyphae (see Fig. 1a on left).
Another means by which genetically different nuclei
may enter a common protoplasm is by mutation of one
or several nuclei. We will refer to the former in this
description of parasexuality.
Following initial fusion of hyphal cells, to form a

genetically different cell, mitotic division perpetuates the

cell and mycelium that is made up of genetically,
different nuclei is formed.

Figure 2. Karyogamy and mitotic division of diploid

nuclei: Following heterokaryon formation, fusion of
some haploid nuclei that are genetically the same will
fuse as well as those that are genetically different. The
latter will result in heterozygous diploid nuclei. It is
estimated
that there is one heterozygous diploid nucleus will occur per one million haploid
nuclei (Pontecorvo, 1958).

Figure 3. Mitotic Crossing Over: Figs. 3a-b. During

prophase of mitosis, mitotic crossing over can occur
between chromatids of homolous chromosomes and may
produce a unique genetic recombinant. Fig 3c.
Recombinant chromosomes separate, during anaphase,
and give rise to nuclei that are genetically different from
existing nuclei in protoplasm. This is also a rare event,
occurring in diploid nuclei, once, in 500 mitoses.

Figure 4. Haploidization (not meiosis) of diploid nuclei.

During mitosis, errors are common. Diploid nuclei often
form one nucleus with three copies of one chromosome
(2N+1) and the other with one copy of one chromosome (2N-1). In the latter
nucleus, the continual, sequential loss of chromosomes with two copies can occur to
eventeually give rise to a haploid nucleus. When haploidization occurs in
heterozygous diploids, the resulting haploid will result in a new genetic
combination.
While the parasexual cycle appears to be a viable mechanism by which genetic
recombination occurs, many mycologist believe that it does not play a role in maintaining
genetic diversity in fungi that have lost their ability to reproduce, sexually. Instead, this has
been looked upon as a laboratory phenomenon and that heterokaryon formation, in nature, is
not a common event. Thus, the parasexual cycle must also be a rare event.
Go back to Introduction to Fungi

Divisi Deuteromycota
Jamur yang tergolong Deuteromyota adalah jamur yang belum diketahui reproduksi
seksualnya. Jamur ini biasa disebut jamur tidak sempurna atau Jamur Imperfecti (Campbell,
1998: 581). Reproduksi aseksualnya terjadi dengan fragmentasi atau dengan Konidium.
Berikut
contoh
jamur
dari
Divisi
Deuteromycota,
antara
lain:
a.Aspergillus
Merupakan jamur yang hidup pada medium dengan derjat keasaman dan kandungan gula
tinggi.
b.Epidermophyton
dan
Mycosporium
Kedua jenis jamur ini merupakan parasit pada manusia. Epidermophyton menyebabkan
penyakit kaki pada atlit, sedangkan Mycosporium penyebab penyakit kurap.
c.Fusarium,
Verticellium,
dan
Cercos
Ketiga jenis jamur ini merupakan parasit pada tumbuhan. Jamur ini jika tdaik dibasmi dengan
fungisida dapat merugikan tumbuhan yang diserangnya.
==Peran Jamur bagi Kehidupan
Jamur memiliki pola hidup yang beraneka ragam. Hal tersebut menyebabkan
jamur tidak hanya dapat menguntungkan, tetapi juga dapat menimbulkan
kerugian
pada
manusia.
Ada beberapa jenis jamur yang memiliki kemampuan untuk melapukan sisa
bahan organik sehingga menjamin daur unsur kimia di alam. Oleh sebab itu,
peranan
jamur
sangat
vital.
Jamur yang tergolong Basidiomycota, seperti Volvariella volvacea, Boletus Edulis,
dan Cortinelus Shitake dapat dikelola untuk dikonsumsi dan memiliki nilai
ekonomis
tinggi.
Selain menguntungan, jamur dapat pula merugikan manusia. Jamur dapat
menguraikan kebutuhan manusia, sehingga mendatangkan kerugian yang
sangat besar. Contoh kerugian yang ditimbulkan oleh janur ialah pembusuka
makanan serta pelapukan kayu pada kapal dan jembatan.