ALBUGO

Systematic position:
Kingdom – Mycota Achlorphyllous thallophyte
Division – Eumycota Non plasmodial forms, usually
mycelial
Sub division – Mastigomycotina Reproduction by motile
zoospores
Class – Oomycetes Mycelium coenocytic, asexual
reproduction by biflagellated zoospores
Order - Pernosporales Mycelium coenocytic, mostly obligate
parasite, few are saprophytes
Family - Albuginaceae Obligate parasites, causes white rust
diseases
Genus- Albugo / Cystopus

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 Occurrence
Albugo also known as Cystopus consists of about 25
species.
All the species are obligate parasites on the numbers
of angiospermic families (Cruciferae, Compositae,
Convolvulaceae, Amaranthaceae etc.).
The most common species is Albugo candida which is
an obligate parasite on the numbers of members of
Cruciferae.
It causes a disease called white rust of crucifers

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 The symptom of disease is first seen as
white shining patches on the leaves and
stem
The cells or organs attacked increase in size
called hypertrophy
 Due to hypertrophy, the floral parts show
swelling and distortion
The inflorescence become enormously
thick and petals become like sepals while
the stamens look like leaves

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Vegetative structure
The plant body is thallus called hypha or
mycelium.
The thallus is well developed and consists
of branched, aseptate, coenocytic hyphae.
The hyphae grow in the intercellular spaces
of the susceptible host tissue.
The cell wall is made up of fungal cellulose
The hyphal protoplasm is granular and
vacuolate in the older parts.
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 It contains numerous nuclei, oil globules
and glycogen.
The fungus mycelium grows vigorously in
the intercellular tissues of the hostand
absorb food material through haustoria

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Reproduction
The reproduction takes place by asexual and sexual
methods
The vegetative reproduction is very rare.
Asexual reproduction:
The asexual reproduction takes place by the asexual
spores called conidia.
The conidia are thin walled non motile spores formed
on the tip of the hyphae called conidiophore.
The conidia are produced in chain.

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 The vegetative mycelium after reaching maturity
forms a dense mass of hyphae in the mesophyll
tissue of the host just beneath the epidermis.
Numerous hyphae produce cluster of short and
unbranched structure called conidiophores at the
right angle to the surface of the epidermis.
The protoplasm and nuclei migrate at the tip of
the aerial hyphae.
The tip of the conidiophores cut off a chain of thin
walled multinucleated spores called conidia.

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 Each conidium consists of about 5-11 nuclei
together with cytoplasm
The conidia are produced in basipetal
succession.
Large numbers of conidia are released
which push up the host epidermis.
Finally the epidermis ruptures and mass of
white conidia are released on the surface of
the host epidermis
Thus the fungus is called white rust.
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 Germination of conidia
The conidia germinate on the favourable condition
on getting the suitable host.
Before germination, the protoplasm of the conidia
undergoes cleavage and form 5 – 11 uninucleated
pieces.
Each pieces transformed into kidney shaped,
uninucleated, biflagellated zoospores (one tinsel
flagella and other whiplash flagella)
The zoospores swim in the thin film of water,
retract flagella and germinate by developing germ
tube which penetrates the host tissue.

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 Conidia formation and their germination

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Sexual reproduction
Sexual reproduction is oogamous
The Albugo is homothallic as male and
female sex organs are present in the same
thallus
The male sex organ is antheridium and
female sex organ is oogonium.
Both male and female sex organs develop
near each other but on different male and
female hyphae.
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 Oogonium develop as a globular and
multinucleated structure at the tip of the
female hypha and contains a large numbers
of nuclei food material.
The protoplasm of oogonium is
differentiated into central dense region
called ooplasm and peripheral vacuolated
region called periplasm.
All the nuclei of ooplasm degenerate and
only one become functional which behave as
egg or oosphere.
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 Antheridium is developed closely with
oogonium as an elongated club shaped
structure at the tip of the male hypha.
It contains numerous nuclei and only one
become functional which behave as male
gamete

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Fertilization
The fertilization takes place by means of
gametangial contact
The antheridium and oogonium come in
contact with each other
The wall of contact between antheridium
and oogonium dissolves and a tube is
formed by antheridium called fertilization
tube.
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 Fertilization tube penetrates the oogonium
and reaches to the ooplasm where the male
nucleus comes in contact with the female
nucleus to form the diploid zygote or
oospore.

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Germination of oospore
Oospore is a globular structure and remains
surrounded by outer thick wall called
exosporium and inner thin wall called
endosporium
It is released on the surface of the host due
to the rupture of the epidermis
Diploid oospore divides meiotically and 4
haploid nuclei are formed
Out of 4 nuclei, 3 degenerate and only one
become functional.
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 The functional nucleus undergoes repeated
mitotic division to form numerous haploid
nuclei.
At maturity, the wall of the oospore
ruptures and each nucleus metamorphosed
into biflagellated zoospores.
Zoospores retract flagella and germinate by
developing germ tube into the new host.

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Life cycle of Albugo

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