Deuteromycetes: Definition, Reproduction, Characteristics and Classification

Deuteromycetes also known as Deuteromycota, Deuteromycotina, fungi imperfecti, and mitosporic fungus, is an anamorphic fungus, or a fungi (Kingdom Fungi) in which a real sexual state is rare or unknown.

• Many of these funguses reproduce asexually, either through spores (conidia or oidia) or through budding.
• Conidial stages are similar to those found in the Ascomycota phylum.
• However, some species have similarities with lower (primitive) fungi and the Basidiomycota phylum.
• Because of this ambiguity, the name Deuteromycetes is only used to describe a few fungi and is of minimal value in fungi taxonomy.

Key Terms: Deuteromycota, Deuteromycotina, Fungi imperfection, Mitosporic fungi, Fungi, Mitosis, Asexual fungus, Anamorph, Deuteromycetes

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What are Deuteromycetes?

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Deuteromycetes, sometimes known as molds, are "second-class" fungi that have no sexual stage in their life cycle and reproduce only by mitosis.

• Asexual fungus in this stage are called Anamorph.
• In other words, because of the asexual reproductive process, this imperfect fungal class belongs to the artificial fungi, of which there are approximately fifteen thousand species.

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Reproduction in Deuteromycetes

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In Deuteromycetes, the reproductive cycle goes through many phases. Spores, also known as Conidia, are generated directly on the mycelium or on the structure of specialized mycelial cells known as Conidiophores.

• Some types of Deuteromycetes do not produce spores.
• Furthermore, the non-sporulating fungus can reproduce by fragmenting the hyphae or creating a mass of hyphae known as a sclerotium.
• Sclerotia can range in size from microscopic to many centimeters in diameter.

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Characteristics of Deuteromycetes

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Deuteromycetes fungi have several characteristics that can be seen as follows:

• Deuteromycetes can be found as saprophytes on a variety of substrates, but many of these fungi are parasites on plants and animals.
• This results in a number of plant diseases like leaf spots, blights, blotch, wilts, rots, anthracnose, and others, whereas animal diseases include meningitis, candidiasis, skin disorders, nail infections, and others.
• Mycelium is composed of many branched and septate hyphae with multinucleate cells and simple pore septa.
• The hyphae may be intracellular, and their cell wall is primarily composed of chitin-glucan.
• Deuteromycetes reproduce asexually.
• This type of asexual reproduction uses hyphal fragments, budding, arthrospores (flat-ended asexual spores created by the breaking up of hypha cells), chlamydospores (thick-walled modified cells that behave as resting spores), and other mechanisms.
• A conidiogenous cell is a conidiophore cell that produces conidia either at the tip or side of the conidiophore, either singly or in chains.
• Conidiophores can be free or aggregated to create specialized structures such as Synnemata and Sporodochia.
• Conidiophores are created in specific fruiting layers that are present within the specialized fruiting bodies known as Conidiomata when they are huge.
•  There is a low sexual reproduction, but the parasexual cycle normally operates in their lives to fulfill sexuality requirements.

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Deuteromycetes Fungi as Pathogens

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Deuteromycetes are harmful to a variety of plants and plant components as many of these cause food deterioration.

• All Deuteromycetes, like other fungi, are Heterotrophic and require an organic substrate to connect to.
• All main food products are excellent fungal substrates since the fungi devour and destroy these fruits in a short amount of time.
• Some fungi are capable of producing poisonous compounds that are detrimental to those who eat rotting food.
• For example, Aflatoxin is produced by the fungus Aspergillus flavus.

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Deuteromycetes Classification

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The Deuteromycetes are a fictitious grouping in which the evolutionary relationship between taxa is generally unknown. This classification falls within the mitotic states of meiotic groups like basidiomycetes and, in particular, Ascomycetes.

• A small number of taxa have been linked to meiotic states, but the vast majority have not.
• Various formal and informal names for groupings of mitotic fungus have been used in the past.
• Deuteromycotina, Deuteromycetes, Fungus Imperfect, asexual fungi, conidial fungi, and anamorphic fungi are the most prevalent.
• The absence of teleomorphic (meiotic) states distinguishes the Deuteromycetes classification.
• It is polyphyletic, which means it is heterogeneous.
• Spores (conidia) produced mitotically (asexually) from conidiogenous cells are often used for reproduction.

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Things to Remember

• Deuteromycetes reproduce only through asexual spores known as conidia.
• Mycelium is composed of many branched and septate hyphae with multinucleate cells and simple pore septa.
• Some are saprophytes or parasites, but the majority are decomposers who aid in mineral cycling.
• Deuteromycetes include Alternaria, Colletotrichum, and Trichoderma.
• Conidiophores can be free or aggregated to create specialized structures such as Synnemata and Sporodochia.
• They are harmful to a variety of plants and plant products like fruits and vegetables.

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