title: The release of elongated, sheathed ascospores from bottle-shaped asci in Dipodascus geniculatus.
abstract: Yeasts use different mechanisms to release ascospores of different lengths from bottle-shaped asci. Round to oval-shaped ascospores are enveloped in oxylipin-coated compressible sheaths, enabling ascospores to slide past each other when they reach the narrowing ascus neck. However, more elongated ascospores do not contain sheaths, but are linked by means of oxylipin-coated interlocked hooked ridges on the surfaces of neighboring ascospores, thereby keeping them aligned while they are pushed towards the ascus tip by turgor pressure. In this study, we found elongated, oxylipin-coated sheathed ascospores in Dipodascus geniculatus that are released effectively from bottle-shaped asci without alignment. This is possible because the ascus neck and opening have a diameter that is the same as the length of the ascospore, thus allowing the ascospores to turn sideways without blocking the ascus when they are released. We found that increased concentrations of acetylsalicylic acid inhibit both ascospore release and 3-hydroxy oxylipin production in this yeast, thereby implicating this oxylipin in sexual reproduction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology, UNESCO-MIRCEN, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
authors.forename: Ané
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van Heerden
authors.forename: Pieter W J
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: van Wyk
authors.forename: Piet J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Botes
authors.forename: Carolina H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Pohl
authors.forename: Catharina J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Strauss
authors.forename: Santosh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nigam
authors.forename: Johan L F
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Kock
mesh_terms: D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D004718:Saccharomycetales / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids