Germ Tube Formation of Ascospores of Two Terrestrial Higher Ascomycetes, Hypoxylon mammatum and H. truncatum

Two wood decay ascomycetes fungi identified as Hypoxylon mammatum and H. truncatum were isolated from backyard of Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) in Korea. Hypoxylon truncatum is newly recorded as a wood degrader in Korea. Unusual germination mechanisms of ascospores in H. mammatum and H. truncatum are described and illustrated. The differences between two species were noticed on the process of germ tube formation. In the process of germ tube formation, the fast movement to pigmented ascospores activated from their perispores was termed as spore eclosion that was only found in H. mammatum. This sophisticated recognition mechanism indicated the existence of specific eclosion and germ tube formation due to the composition of cell wall layers and their preferable host derive, based on examined two species under a genus. The observation on present study postulates different composition of wall layers of ascospore and different nutrient composition for germination.