Puccinia 2011

Puccinia - Basidiomycotina

Classification - Ainsworth (1966, 71 and 73).

Kingdom: Mycota

Division: Eumycota

Sub-division: Basidiomycotina

Class: Teliomycetes

Order:- Uredinales

Family:- Pucciniaceae

Genus:- Puccinia

Puccinia graminis is the causal organism for black rust disease of wheat and other cereal crops.
This disease is also known as stem rust. Earlier, it was considered that the disease was because of an
insect, but later Persoan (1797) first time reported that the disease was caused by a fungus. P. graminis
is an obligate parasite. It is a heteroecious fungus. There are two phases in the life cycle of Puccinia-
Dikaryophase-this phase occurs in its primary host, Tritium aestivum (wheat), where as the haplophase
accures in its alternate host Berberis valgaris. Although, it can survive in the absence of alternate host
are available.

Vegetative structure

The fungus shows two types of mycelia – dikaryotic and monokaryotic. Both mycelia are
intercellular, septate and branched. The cell wall is composed of chitin and glucan. The dikaryotic
mycelium occurs in the primary host, wheat. Each cell of the dikaryotic mycelium contains dikaryon
(two nuclei). Monokaryotic mycelium occurs in the alternate host, barberry leaves. Each cell of the
monokaryotic mycelium have single nucleus. The granular cytoplasm of the cell also contains vacuoles,
glycogen bodies and oil globules. The mycelium takes nourishment from the host cells with the help of
spherical haustoria. The haustoria are often closely appressed to the nucleus of the host cell.

Life cycle

Puccinia graminis is a macrocyclic, heteroecious rust. It produces five types of spores -

Uredospores, Teleutospores, Basidiospores, Pycnidiospores and Aeciospores. These spores develop
in two different hosts in a definite sequence as follows.

Uredospore stage
Teleutospore stage On primary Host Wheat

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Basidiospore stage
In Soil

Pycnidiospore stage
On Barberry leaves (alternate host)
Aeciospore stage

Stages on the wheat plant. Basidiospores

1. Uredospore stage

The dikaryotic Mycelium is produced by the germination of aeciospores on wheat plant. It forms
intercellular mat of hyphae within the tissue. The dikaryotic mycelium present in the sub-epidermal
region develops many erect hyphae which grow at right angles to the epidermis. Binucleate uredospore
develops at the tip of erect hyphae. These spores develop in groups. These groups are known as
‘Uredosori’. The host epidermis ruptures to due pressure of developing uredosori and thus uredospores
are liberated. The mature uredospore is a stalked unicellular, oval and binucleate structure and have the
capacity to germinate immediately after formation. The spore wall is thick and differentiated into two
layers outer spiny exine and
inner thin layer intine having
germ pores.

Germination of Uredospores

Under favorable
conditions, on fresh wheat
leaves, it germinates by
producing one or more germ
tubes through germ pore. On
reaching a stoma the tip of the
germ tube develop into a vesicle
called appressorium.
Appressorium develops hyphal
branches and forms intercellular
dikaryotic mycelium. This mycelium is able to produce uredospores again.

2. Telutospore stage

During summer season the mycelium which produces uredospore earlier, now produces teleutospores in
addition to uredospores. The teleutosori are also produced independently from the mycelium produced
by the late infection of uredospores. The teleutosori appears as black raised sheaths on stems of infected
plants. The groups of binucleate cells which give rise teleutospores are called telia.

The mature teleutospores are, stalked, bicelled spindle shaped structure, constricted slightly at
the septum. The wall of the teleutospore is thick, smooth with pointed or round tip. Each cell of the

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teleutospore is binucleate and is provided with germ pore. As the teleutospore matures, the two nuclei
fuse to form a diploid nucleus. The teleutospores acts as resting spores and are capable of re-infecting
the wheat plant. As no host is required for their germination, under favorable condition they germinate
in soil.

Stage in Soil

3. Basidiospores stage

During the favorable condition, teleutospores

germinate on the ground. It produces one germ tube from
each cell. The germ tube has limited growth and it is
called as ‘promycelium’. The diploid nucleus of the cell
moves into promycelium and divides meiotically and forms
four nuclei which are haploid. Out of the four nuclei two
are of ‘+’ve strain and two are of ‘-’ ve strain. The
promycelium divides into four cells by transverse septum.
Each cell produces single basidiospore formed on fine
sterigmata. Thus, four basidiospore formed on each
promycelium contain two of ‘+’ve strain and two of ‘-‘ve
strain. Thus, the mature basidiospore is small, unicellular,
uninucleated and thin walled structure. They are
disseminated by wind and germinate only on the leaves of
alternate host barberry.

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Stages on Berberis plant.

4. Pycniospore stage or spermogonium stage.

The haplosphase of the puccinia occures on Berberries plant. This phase begins with the formation of
basidiospores. Under favorable conditions, the basidiospores germinate on the leaves of berberries plant
by producing germ tube. It penetrates the epidermis and forms the intercellular mycelium. Thus, the
mycelium formed may be of ‘+’ve or ‘-’ve strain and monokaryotic depending on the strain of the
basidiospore. Usually several spore infects the leaf and produces the mycelia of either ‘+’ve or ‘-’ve
strain. After infection, the mycelia form pseudoparenchymatous masses beneath the epidermis and form
spermogoina or pycnidia. Pycnidia develop on the upper surface of the leaf and are flask shaped and
yellowish. They may be ‘+’ve or ‘-’ve. The pycnidia open by a small opening called as ostiole, which
is guarded by sterile periphyses. Among these periphyses, thin walled branched receptive hyphae
called flexus hyphae are also present which project much beyond the periphyses. From the inner most
wall the pycnidium produces tapering cells, called pycniophores. Each pycniophore produces small,
uninucleate pycniospores, which are, oval to spherical, hyaline and smooth. They may be of ‘+’ve or ‘-
’ ve strain.

When pycniospores becomes matures, the pycniduim secretes a nector drop which ooze out
through the ostiole with many pycniospores (‘+’ve or ‘-’ve). When the insect attracts to the nector drop,
the pycniospore of one strain are transferred to the flexuous hyphae of opposite strain. This process is
known as ‘spermatization’. At the point of contact between pycniospore and flexuous hyphae the walls
are dissolved and the nucleus of pycnispore is transferred to flexuous hyphae. This spermatization
results in the formation of dikaryotic mycelium. Some of the hyphae of each matting type form
protoaecidia on lower surface. These protoaecidia are globose mass of hyphae and after spermatization
only they develop into aecidium.

Flexus hyphae

Pycniospores

Pycniophores

Pycnidium
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5. Aeciospore Stage

Aecidia are cup shaped structures formed on the lower surface of the barberry leaf. The dikaryotic
mycelium formed as a result of spermatization forms the protoaecidium. The cells of the proto-
aecidium are know as aecidiophores which forms binucleate cells at their tip. These binueleate cells are
arranged in chains which are made up of long and short cells. The long cell forms aeciospores, where
as small cells forms disjunctor, which are sterile. The mature aeciospores are unicellular, binucleate,
thin walled and orange coloured. These aeciospores do not infect the barberry plant and infect the wheat
plant. They are disseminated by wind and germinate on the wheat leaf by giving rise germ tube. The
germ tube penetrates the stoma and forms intercellular dikaryotic mycelium which produces
Uredospores again within 10-12 days

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