Abstract
The conidia of aquatic hyphomycetes were discovered by C.T. Ingold some 60 years ago. They are typically multiradiate or sigmoid, relatively fragile, and produced in enormous numbers. Their main function seems to be the rapid colonization of a periodic superabundance of leaves common in most streams. Conidia are unlikely to survive adverse conditions and to be responsible for the apparently worldwide distribution of many aquatic hyphomycete species. It has repeatedly been suggested that meiospores are responsible for long-distance dispersal; however, to date, only some 10% of described species have been connected to a teleomorph. To determine additional connections, and to document the potential role of meiospores in long-distance dispersal of aquatic hyphomycetes, the application of modern molecular methods is essential.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anastasiou CJ (1964) Some aquatic Fungi Imperfecti from Hawaii. Pac Sci 18:202–20
Baldy V, Gessner MO, Chauvet E (1995) Bacteria, fungi and the breakdown of leaf litter in a large river. Oikos 74:93–102
Baldy V, Chauvet E, Charcosset J-Y, Gessner MO (2002) Microbial dynamics associated with leaves decomposing in the mainstem and floodplain pond of a large river. Aquat Microb Ecol 28:25–36
Bärlocher F (1981) Fungi on the food and in the faeces of Gammarus pulex. Trans Br Mycol Soc 76:14–19
Bärlocher F (1982) Conidium production from leaves and needles in four streams. Can J Bot 60:1487–1494
Bärlocher F (1991) Intraspecific hyphal interactions among aquatic hyphomycetes. Mycologia 83:82–88
Bärlocher F (1992a) Research on aquatic hyphomycetes: historical background and overview. In: Bärlocher F (ed) The ecology of aquatic hyphomycetes. Springer, Berlin & New York, pp 1–15
Bärlocher F (1992b) Community organization. In: Bärlocher F (ed) The ecology of aquatic hyphomycetes. Springer, Berlin & New York, pp 38–76
Bärlocher F (2000) Water-borne conidia of aquatic hyphomycetes: seasonal and yearly patterns in Catamaran Brook, New Brunswick, Canada. Can J Bot 78:157–167
Bärlocher F (2005) Freshwater fungal communities. In: Dighton J, White JF, Oudemans P (eds) The fungal community. Its organization and role in the ecosystem. Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton, pp 39–59
Bärlocher F (2006) Fungal endophytes in submerged roots. In: Schulz BJE, Boyle CJC, Sieber TN (eds) Microbial root endophytes. Springer, Berlin & New York, pp 179–190
Bärlocher F (2007) Decomposition and fungal community structure in aquatic environments. In: Hurst CJ, Crawford RL, Garland JL, Lipson DA, Mills AL, Stetzenbach LD (eds) Manual of environmental microbiology, 3rd edn. American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Press, Washington, DC, pp 469–478
Bärlocher F, Brendelberger H (2004) Filtration of aquatic hyphomycete spores by a benthic suspension feeder. Limnol Oceanogr 49:2292–2296
Bärlocher F, Graça MAS (2002) Exotic riparian vegetation lowers fungal diversity but not leaf decomposition in Portuguese streams. Freshw Biol 47:1123–1135
Bärlocher F, Kendrick B (1974) Dynamics of the fungal population of leaves in streams. J Ecol 62:761–791
Bärlocher F, Nikolcheva LG, Wilson KP, Williams DD (2006). Fungi in the hyporheic zone of a springbrook. Microb Ecol 52:708–715
Baschien C, Marvanová L, Szewzyk U (2006) Phylogeny of selected aquatic hyphomycetes based on morphological and molecular data. Nova Hedwigia 83:311–352
Belliveau MJR, Bärlocher F (2005) Molecular evidence confirms multiple origins of aquatic hyphomycetes. Mycol Res 109:1407–1417
Boddy L (1993) Cord-forming fungi: warfare strategies and other ecological aspects. Mycol Res 97:641–655
Boddy L, Jones TH (2007) Mycelial responses in heterogeneous environments: parallels with macroorganisms. In: Gadd GM, Watkinson SC, Dyer PS (eds) Fungi in the environment. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Campbell J, Shearer C, Marvanová L (2006) Evolutionary relationships among aquatic anamorphs and teleomorphs: Lemonniera, Margaritispora, and Goniopila. Mycol Res 110:1025–1033
Carter MD, Suberkropp K (2004) Respiration and annual fungal production associated with decomposing leaf litter in two streams. Freshw Biol 49:1112–1122
Chauvet E, Suberkropp K (1998) Temperature and sporulation of aquatic hyphomycetes. Appl Environ Microbiol 64:1522–1525
Dang CK, Gessner MO, Chauvet E (2007) Influence of conidial traits and leaf structure on attachment success of aquatic hyphomycetes on leaf litter. Mycologia 99:24–32
Dettman JR, Jacobson DJ, Taylor JW (2006) Multilocus sequence data reveal extensive phylogenetic species diversity within the Neurospora discreta complex. Mycologia 98:436–446
Fang W, Bidochka MJ (2006) Expression of genes involved in germination, conidiogenesis and pathogenesis in Metarhizium anisopliae using quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Mycol Res 110:1165–1171
Fenchel T, Finlay BJ (2004) The ubiquity of small species: patterns of local and global diversity. BioScience 54:777–784
Ferreira V, Gulis V, Graça MAS (2006) Whole-stream nitrate addition affects litter decomposition and associated fungi but not invertebrates. Oecologia (Berl) 49:718–729
Findlay SEG, Arsuffi TL (1989) Microbial growth and detritus transformations during decomposition of leaf litter in a stream. Freshw Biol 21:261–269
Gessner MO (1997) Fungal biomass, production and sporulation associated with particulate organic matter in streams. Limnetica 13:33–44
Gessner MO (2005) Ergosterol as a measure of fungal biomass. In: Graça MAS, Bärlocher F, Gessner MO (eds) Methods to study litter decomposition. Springer, Dordrecht, pp 189–195
Gessner MO, Chauvet E (1994) Importance of stream microfungi in controlling breakdown rates of leaf litter. Ecology 75:1807–1817
Gessner MO, Chauvet E (1997) Growth and production of aquatic hyphomycetes in decomposing leaf litter. Limnol Oceanogr 42:496–505
Gessner MO, Thomas M, Jean-Louis A-M, Chauvet E (1993) Stable successional patterns of aquatic hyphomycetes on leaves decaying in a summer cool stream. Mycol Res 97:163–172
Gessner MO, Bärlocher F, Chauvet E (2003) Qualitative and quantitative analyses of aquatic hyphomycetes in streams. Fungal Divers Res Ser 10:127–157
Goos RD (1970) In vitro sporulation in Actinospora megalospora. Trans Br Mycol Soc 55:335–337
Gulis V (2001) Are there any substrate preferences in aquatic hyphomycetes? Mycol Res 105:1088–1093
Gulis V, Suberkropp K (2003) Leaf litter decomposition and microbial activity in nutrient-enriched and unaltered reaches of a headwater stream. Freshw Biol 48:123–134
Gulis V, Rosemond AD, Suberkropp K, Weyers HS, Benstead JP (2004) Effects of nutrient enrichment on the decomposition of wood and associated microbial activity in streams. Freshw Biol 49:1437–1447
Hibbett DS, Binder M, Bischoff JF, Blackwell M, Cannon PF, Eriksson OE, Huhndorf S, James T, Kirk PM, Lücking R, Lumbsch HT, Lutzoni F, Matheny PB, Mclaughlin DJ, Powell MJ, Redhead S, Schoch CL, Spatafora JW, Stalpers JA, Vilgalys R, Aime MC, Aptroot A, Bauer R, Begerow D, Benny GL, Castlebury LA, Crous PW, Dai Y-C, Gams W, Geiser DM, Griffith GW, Gueidan C, Hawksworth DL, Hestmark G, Hosaka K, Humber RA, Hyde KD, Ironside JE, Kõljalg U, Kurztman CP, Larsson K-H, Lichtwardt R, Longcore J, Miadlikowska J, Miller A, Moncalvo J-M, Mozley-Standridge S, Oberwinkler F, Parmasto E, Reeb V, Rogers JD, Roux C, Ryvarden L, Sampaio JP, Schüssler A, Sugiyama J, Thorn RG, Tibell L, Untereiner WA, Walker C, Wang Z, Weir A, Weiss M, White MM, Winka K, Yao Y-J, Zhan N (2007) A higher-level phylogenetic classification of the Fungi. Mycol Res 111:509–547
Ingold CT (1942) Aquatic hyphomycetes of decaying alder leaves. Trans Br Mycol Soc 25:339–417
Iqbal SH, Webster J (1973) Aquatic hyphomycete spora of the River Exe and its tributaries. Trans Br Mycol Soc 61:331–346
Kaushik NK, Hynes HBN (1971) The fate of the dead leaves that fall into streams. Arch Hydrobiol 68:465–515
Kearns SG, Bärlocher F (2008) Leaf surface roughness influences colonization success of aquatic hyphomycete conidia. Fungal Ecol 1(1):13–18
Kempt ED, Maamri A, Bärlocher F (2002) Germination of settled and suspended conidia of aquatic hyphomycetes. Sydowia 53:200–210
Khan MA (1987) Interspecies interactions in aquatic hyphomycetes. Bot Mag Tokyo 100:295–303
Krauss G, Sridhar KR, Bärlocher F (2005) Aquatic hyphomycetes and leaf decomposition in contaminated groundwater wells in Central Germany. Arch Hydrobiol 162:417–429
Maharning AR, Bärlocher F (1996) Growth and reproduction in aquatic hyphomycetes. Mycologia 88:80–88
Newell SY, Fallon RD (1991) Toward a method for measuring instantaneous fungal growth rates in field samples. Ecology 72:1547–1559
Nikolcheva LG, Bärlocher F (2004) Taxon-specific primers reveal unexpectedly high diversity during leaf decomposition in a stream. Mycol Prog 3:41–50
Nikolcheva LG, Bourque T, Bärlocher F (2005) Fungal diversity during initial stages of leaf decomposition in a stream. Mycol Res 109:246–253
Pascoal C, Cássio F (2004) Contribution of fungi and bacteria to leaf litter decomposition in a polluted river. Appl Environ Microbiol 70:5177–5182
Pascoal C, Cassio F, Marcotegui A, Sanz B, Gomes P (2005a) Role of fungi, bacteria, and invertebrates in leaf litter breakdown in a polluted river. J N Am Benthol Soc 24:784–797
Pascoal C, Cássio F, Marvanová L (2005b) Anthropogenic stress may affect aquatic hyphomycete diversity more than leaf decomposition in a low-order stream. Arch Hydrobiol 162:481–496
Ranzoni FV (1979) Aquatic hyphomycetes from Hawaii. Mycologia 71:786–795
Raviraja NS, Nikolcheva LG, Bärlocher F (2005) Diversity of aquatic hyphomycete conidia assessed by microscopy and by DGGE. Microb Ecol 49:301–307
Shearer CA (1992) The role of woody debris in the life cycles of aquatic hyphomycetes. In: Bärlocher F (ed) The ecology of aquatic hyphomycetes. Springer, Berlin & New York, pp 77–98
Shearer CA, Lane L (1983) Comparison of three techniques for the study of aquatic hyphomycete communities. Mycologia 74:498–508
Shenoy BD, Jeewon R, Hyde KD (2007) Impact of DNA sequencedata on the taxonomy of anamorphic fungi. Fungal Divers 26:1–54
Smith ML, Bruhn JN, Anderson JB (1992) The fungus Armillaria bulbosa is among the largest and oldest living organisms. Science 356:428–531
Sokolski S, Piché Y, Chauvet E, Bérubé JA (2006) A fungal endophyte of black spruce (Picea mariana) needles is also an aquatic hyphomycete. Mol Ecol 15:1955–1962
Sridhar KR, Bärlocher F (1994) Viability of aquatic hyphomycete conidia in foam. Can J Bot 72:106–110
Sridhar KR, Bärlocher F (1997) Water chemistry and sporulation by aquatic hyphomycetes. Mycol Res 101:591–596
Sridhar KR, Bärlocher F (2000) Initial colonization, nutrient supply, and fungal activity on leaves decaying in streams. Appl Environ Microbiol 66:1112–1119
Sridhar KR, Krauss G, Bärlocher F, Raviraja NS, Wennrich R, Baumbach R, Krauss G-J (2001) Decomposition of alder leaves in two heavy-metal polluted streams in central Germany. Aquat Microb Ecol 26:73–80
Suberkropp K (1984) Effect of temperature on seasonal occurrence of aquatic hyphomycetes. Trans Br Mycol Soc 82:53–62
Suberkropp K (1991) Relationships between growth and sporulation of aquatic hyphomycetes on decomposing leaf litter. Mycol Res 98:843–850
Suberkropp K (1995) The influence of nutrients on fungal growth, productivity, and sporulation during leaf breakdown in streams. Can J Bot 73:S1361–S1369
Suberkropp K (1997) Annual production of leaf-decaying fungi in a woodland stream. Freshw Biol 38:169–178
Suberkropp K (2001) Fungal growth, production, and sporulation during leaf decomposition in two streams. Appl Environ Microbiol 67:5063–5068
Suberkropp K, Chauvet E (1995) Regulation of leaf breakdown by fungi in streams: influences of water chemistry. Ecology 76:1433–1445
Suberkropp K, Gessner MO (2005) Acetate incorporation into ergosterol to determine fungal growth rates and production. In: Graça MAS, Bärlocher F, Gessner MO (eds) Methods to study litter decomposition. Springer, Dordrecht, pp 197–202
Suberkropp K, Klug MJ (1976) Fungi and bacteria associated with leaves during processing in a woodland stream. Ecology 57:707–719
Suberkropp K, Weyers H (1996) Application of fungal and bacterial production methodologies to decomposing leaves in streams. Appl Environ Microbiol 62:1610–1615
Taylor JW, Jacobson DJ, Kroken S, Kasuga T, Geiser DM, Hibbett DS, Fisher MC (2000) Phylogenetic species recognition and species concepts in fungi. Fungal Genet Biol 31:21–32
Taylor JW, Turner E, Townsend JP, Dettman JR, Jacobson D (2006) Eukaryotic microbes, species recognition and the geographic limits of species: examples from the kingdom Fungi. Philos Trans R Soc Biol 361:1947–1963
Thomas K, Chilvers GA, Norris RH (1991a) Changes in concentration of aquatic hyphomycete spores in Lees Creek, ACT, Australia. Mycol Res 95:178–183
Thomas K, Chilvers GA, Norris RH (1991b) A dynamic model of fungal spora in a freshwater stream. Mycol Res 95:184–188
Treton C, Chauvet E, Charcosset JY (2004) Competitive interaction between two aquatic hyphomycete species and increase in leaf litter breakdown. Microb Ecol 48:439–446
Webster J (1959) Experiments with spores of aquatic hyphomycetes. I. Sedimentation, and impaction on smooth surfaces. Ann Bot 23:595–611
Webster J (1992) Anamorph-teleomorph relationships. In: Bärlocher F (ed) The ecology of aquatic hyphomycetes. Springer, Berlin & New York, pp 99–117
Webster J, Davey RA (1984) Sigmoid conidial shape in aquatic fungi. Trans Br Mycol Soc 83:43–52
Webster J, Descals E (1981) Morphology, distribution, and ecology of conidial fungi in freshwater habitats. In: Cole GT, Kendrick B (eds) Biology of conidial fungi, vol I. Academic Press, New York, pp 295–355
Weigelhofer G, Waringer JA (1994) Allochthonous input of coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM) in a first to fourth order Austrian forest stream. Int Rev Gesamten Hydrobiol 79:461–471
Weyers H, Suberkropp K (1996) Fungal and bacterial production during the breakdown of yellow poplar leaves in 2 streams. J N Am Benthol Soc 15:408–420
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
About this article
Cite this article
Bärlocher, F. Reproduction and dispersal in aquatic hyphomycetes. Mycoscience 50, 3–8 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10267-008-0449-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10267-008-0449-x