
Teliospore (sometimes called teleutospore) is the thick-walled resting
spore
In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plants, algae, ...
of some
fungi
A fungus (plural, : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of Eukaryote, eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and Mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified ...
(
rusts
Rust is an iron oxide, a usually reddish-brown oxide formed by the reaction of iron and oxygen in the catalytic presence of water or air moisture. Rust consists of hydrous iron(III) oxides (Fe2O3·nH2O) and iron(III) oxide-hydroxide (Fe ...
and
smuts Smuts is an Afrikaans surname most commonly associated with Jan Smuts (1870–1950), a South African statesman, military leader and prime minister of the Union of South Africa. Other notable people with the surname include:
* Barbara Smuts, Americ ...
), from which the
basidium
A basidium () is a microscopic sporangium (a spore-producing structure) found on the hymenophore of fruiting bodies of basidiomycete fungi which are also called tertiary mycelium, developed from secondary mycelium. Tertiary mycelium is hig ...
arises.
Development
They develop in ''
telia'' (sing. ''telium'' or ''teliosorus'').
The telial host is the primary host in heteroecious rusts. The aecial host is the alternate host (look for
pycnia and
aecia
An aecium (plural aecia) is a specialised reproductive structure found in some plant pathogenic rust fungi that produce aeciospores. Aecia may also be referred to as "cluster cups". The term aecidium (plural aecidia) is used interchangeably but ...
).
These terms apply when two hosts are required by a heteroecious rust fungus to complete its life cycle.
Morphology
Teliospores consist of one, two or more
dikaryote The dikaryon is a nuclear feature which is unique to certain fungi. (The green alga ''Derbesia'' had been long considered an exception, until the heterokaryotic hypothesis was challenged by later studies.) Compatible cell-types can fuse cytoplasms ( ...
cells.
Teliospores are often dark-coloured and thick-walled, especially in species where they overwinter (acting as
chlamydospores
A chlamydospore is the thick-walled large resting spore of several kinds of fungi, including Ascomycota such as '' Candida'', Basidiomycota such as '' Panus'', and various Mortierellales species. It is the life-stage which survives in unfavourable ...
).
Two-celled teliospores formerly defined the genus ''
Puccinia
''Puccinia'' is a genus of fungi. All species in this genus are obligate plant pathogens and are known as rusts. The genus contains about 4000 species.
The genus name of ''Puccinia'' is in honour of Tommaso Puccini (died 1735), who was an Italia ...
''. Here the wall is particularly thick at the tip of the terminal cell which extends into a beak in some species.
Teliospores consist of
dikaryote The dikaryon is a nuclear feature which is unique to certain fungi. (The green alga ''Derbesia'' had been long considered an exception, until the heterokaryotic hypothesis was challenged by later studies.) Compatible cell-types can fuse cytoplasms ( ...
cells. As the teliospore cells germinate, the
nuclei undergo
karyogamy
Karyogamy is the final step in the process of fusing together two haploid eukaryotic cells, and refers specifically to the fusion of the two nuclei. Before karyogamy, each haploid cell has one complete copy of the organism's genome. In order for ...
and thereafter
meiosis
Meiosis (; , since it is a reductional division) is a special type of cell division of germ cells in sexually-reproducing organisms that produces the gametes, such as sperm or egg cells. It involves two rounds of division that ultimately ...
, giving rise to a four-celled
basidium
A basidium () is a microscopic sporangium (a spore-producing structure) found on the hymenophore of fruiting bodies of basidiomycete fungi which are also called tertiary mycelium, developed from secondary mycelium. Tertiary mycelium is hig ...
with
haploid basidiospore
A basidiospore is a reproductive spore produced by Basidiomycete fungi, a grouping that includes mushrooms, shelf fungi, rusts, and smuts. Basidiospores typically each contain one haploid nucleus that is the product of meiosis, and they are p ...
s.
See also
*
Chlamydospore
A chlamydospore is the thick-walled large resting spore of several kinds of fungi, including Ascomycota such as '' Candida'', Basidiomycota such as '' Panus'', and various Mortierellales species. It is the life-stage which survives in unfavourabl ...
*
Urediniomycetes
The Pucciniomycetes (formerly known as the Urediniomycetes) are a class of fungi in the Pucciniomycotina subdivision of the Basidiomycota. The class contains 5 orders, 21 families, 190 genera, and 8016 species. It includes several important plan ...
*
Pycniospore Pycniospores are a type of spore in fungi. They are produced in special cup-like structures called pycnia or pynidia. Almost all fungi reproduce asexually with the production of spores. Spores may be colorless, green, yellow, orange, red, brown o ...
*
Aeciospore
Aeciospores are one of several different types of spores formed by Rusts.
They each have two nuclei and are typically seen in chain-like formations in the aecium
An aecium (plural aecia) is a specialised reproductive structure found in some pla ...
*
Urediniospore Urediniospores (or uredospores) are thin-walled spores produced by the uredium, a stage in the life-cycle of rusts.
Development
''Urediniospores'' develop in the uredium, generally on a leaf's under surface.
Morphology
*Urediniospores usually ha ...
*
Ustilaginomycetes
Ustilaginomycetes is the class of true smut fungi. They are plant parasites with about 1400 recognised species in 70 genera. They have a simple septum with a septal pore cap, this is different from Agaricomycotina which has a dolipore septum wi ...
*
Rust fungus: Spores
References
*C.J. Alexopolous, Charles W. Mims, M. Blackwell, ''Introductory Mycology, 4th ed.'' (John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken NJ, 2004)
Germ cells
Fungal morphology and anatomy
Mycology
{{Basidiomycota-stub