FungalFAX:
Introductory Mycology (BIOL/PLHL 4054) - FALL 2000

LECTURE
Meredith Blackwell
Department of Biological Sciences 
LSB 380 
btblac@unix1.sncc.lsu.edu

OFFICE HOURS: almost anytime by appointment 
388-8551 
LECTURE ROOM: LSB118 
 

 LABORATORY
Ning Zhang
Department of Biological Sciences 
LSB 437
nzhang@unix1.sncc.lsu.edu

OFFICE HOURS: by appointment 
388-8562 
LABORATORY ROOM: LSB 118
Text: Alexopoulos, C. J., C. W. Mims, and M. Blackwell. 1996. Introductory Mycology. John Wiley & Sons, New York.  869p.
Fungi modify our environment by performing important functions, especially those associated with their ability to metabolize a wide variety of carbohydrates and in providing nutrients to the organisms with which they interact. During the course you will 1) learn of the activities of fungi and their importance in making life on Earth possible, 2) collect and identify fungi from their natural habitats , and 3) observe fungi under the microscope in the laboratory. 
To think about: extinction of pathogens
From left to right :  Fig. 1. Individual of Chytridium(Chytridiomycota) growing on a single pine pollen grain. Successive photos show zoospore release from the sporangium, and the arrow points to a flagellum. Copyright © H. Whisler, M. Fuller 1996. Fig. 2. Black sporangium atop swollen sporangiophore of Pilobolus(Zygomycota). Shortly, the swollen subsporangial vesicle will burst to send the sporangium flying. Herbivores eat the sporangium, and the enclosed mitospores germinate in the dung. The bright yellow carotenoid pigment enables the sporangium to orient to light (phototropism). If you look closely, you can see masses of nematodes on the vesicle; probably herbivore pathogens hoping to hitch a ride. Copyright © M. Blackwell 1996.  Fig. 3. Massed fruiting bodies of Laetiporus sulphureus,the chicken-of-the-woods (Basidiomycota). The tiny tubular filaments (hyphae) that make the body of this fungus (mycelium) are growing in the old, dead wood of a large cherry tree. Laetiporusis not a parasite, but the decay may weaken the tree so much that wind or ice storms can topple it. Copyright © M. Blackwell 1996.  Fig. 4. Fruiting body of Scarcoscypha coccinea, the scarlet cup fungus (Ascomycota). Hundreds of millions of meiospores (ascospores) are discharged from this cup, usually in puffs that produce visible clouds of spores.Copyright © J. Spatafora 1996. From Fungi in the Tree of Life by Meredith Blackwell, Rytas Vilgalys, and John W. Taylor.
Syllabus for Introductory Mycology (BIOL/PLHL  4054) -Fall 2000
Date  Lecture Topic (text readings) Laboratory Topic
22 Aug Introduction: Overview of Fungi  and fungus-like organisms (Chapters 1-3) (see Table 1) Fungi from the wild: moist chambers and baits to catch zoosporic fungi; Internet resources 
24 Aug  Slime molds I: Myxomycetes, the plasmiodial slime molds (Chapter 29)  
29 Aug Slime molds II:  Cellular slime molds and others (Table 2) (Chapters 26-28) Streaming plasmodia and gleaming sporangia for identification; Dr. Bonner's slime molds
31 Aug Diploid zoosporic "fungi" I: Oomycetes: Gametic meiosis (Table 1) (Chapter 23)
 5 Sept Diploid zoosporic "fungi" II: Oomycetes in the environment, Oomycetes as plant pathogens  Water molds and plant pathogens: from water to dry land in a special environment
 7 Sept Haploid zoosporic fungi and dead frogs: Chytridiomycota (Chapter 4)
12 Sept Zygomycetes I: Mucorales and other groups (Chapter 5) Can you see the chytrid?; zygote-forming fungi and their beautiful sporangia; AM fungi
14 Sept Zygomycetes II: Endogonales, Glomales (arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi), arthropod associates (Chapters 5, 6)
19 Sept Ascomycetes I: Introduction to the Ascomycetes (Chapter 7) Life cycle and interactions
21 Sept Exam 1
26 Sept Ascomycetes II: Asexual reproduction (Chapter  8) Conidia from the air; you are what you eat
28 Sept Ascomycetes III: Early branches and derived yeasts (Chapters 9, 10)
  3 Oct Ascomycetes IV: Filamentous ascomycetes, Eurotiales (Chapter 11) Ascomycetes from dung
  5 Oct Fall holiday
10 Oct Ascomycetes V:  Pyrenomycetes (Chapter 12 ) Laboratory exam (material from 22 Aug- 3 0ct)
12 Oct Ascomycetes VI: Pyrenomycetes
17 Oct Ascomycetes VII: Plant pathogens (Chapter 13) Ascomycetes from wood
19 Oct Ascomycetes VIII: Discomycetes (Chapter 13)
24 Oct Ascomycetes IX: Loculoascomycetes (Chapter 14) Moist chambers revisited
26 Oct Ascomyctees X: Other groups (Chapter 15)
31 Oct Exam 2 Basidiomycete life cycle: isolation of spores and mating type determination
 2 Nov Basidiomycetes I: Introduction to the Basidiomycetes (Chapter 16)
  7 Nov Basidiomycetes III: Sexual and somatic compatibility  Isolation of spores and mating type determination
  9 Nov  Basidiomycetes IV: Agarics and more and more (Chapter 17)
14 Nov Basidiomycetes IV: Mycorrhizae  Basidiomycetes: below grown and above
16 Nov Basidiomycetes V: Polypores and corticioid fungi plus (Chapter 19)
21 Nov Basidiomycetes VII: Rusts and related forms plus (Chapters 20,  22) Life cycle slides and witches' brooms 
23 Nov Thanksgiving holiday
28 Nov  Basidiomycetes VIII: Smuts (Chapter 21) Laboratory Exam (material from 17 Oct-21 Nov)
30 Nov Fungi in perspective
 5 Dec Cumulative Final Exam (Tuesday, 7:30- 9:30 am)
Mycology - GENERAL INFORMATION
Grades will be determined on the basis of:
The final letter grade for the course will be based on the following scale: Your letter grade will not be lower than stated in this scale, but you may do better if grades are curved
Lecture exams are scheduled as follows:
The laboratory grade will be based on the following:
       Collections:  30%
Field collection (number of specimens identified to genus) :
Ascomycetes (5)
Basidiomycetes (4)
Myxomycetes (2)
Culture collection (number of cultures identified to genus):
Asexual fungi (5)
Zygomycetes (2)
Ascomycetes (1)
Basidiomycetes (1)
      Exams: 35% each
You should activate your TIGER account if you have not done so.  Computers with Internet Access are located in the lobby of the Life Sciences Building and in Middleton Library.  If you do not have Internet access, please see me. 
Last Modified: August 20, 2000
Maintained by Meredith Blackwell
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