title: How carnivorous fungi use three-celled constricting rings to trap nematodes.
abstract: Predacious fungi form specialized hyphae structures to trap nematodes and other microscopic animals. Among the six kinds of trapping devices, the constricting ring is the only one that actively captures nematodes. When a nematode enters the aperture of the ring, which is formed by three cells, the cells rapidly triple their volume, close the aperture and hold the nematode in place. Hyphae then penetrate and consume the nematode. This paper reviews the data and hypotheses on conserving the evolution of constricting rings and their cytological and molecular mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
authors.forename: Keke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jianqing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Meichun
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.forename: Xingzhong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000818:Animals; D005658:Fungi / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D025301:Hyphae / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D009024:Morphogenesis; D009348:Nematoda / Q000502:physiology*