Trichogyne

Trichogyne is a hairlike receptive hypha produced by the female gametophytic organ, the ascogonium, in many ascomycete fungi during sexual reproduction. It extends toward a compatible male partner, typically the antheridium, and serves as the conduit for cytoplasmic fusion and migration of male nuclei.

During fertilization, the trichogyne makes contact with the male hypha and is the site of plasmogamy, the fusion of cytoplasm between the two mating partners. The nuclei from the male parent migrate through the trichogyne into the ascogonium, establishing a dikaryotic condition that precedes karyogamy and the formation of asci. In many species, the trichogyne is the initial pathway for nuclear migration and plays a key role in recognizing compatible partners.

Morphology and development: The trichogyne is typically slender and elongated, projecting from the ascogonium toward the source of the male gametes. Its formation and function are influenced by genetic and environmental factors, and after fertilization, it often regresses as development proceeds.

Taxonomic distribution: The concept and structure are most commonly described in Ascomycota, including several well-studied genera, such as Neurospora, Sordaria, and Ascobolus, though variations occur among different fungal lineages.

Etymology: The name derives from Greek trichos, “hair,” and gyne, “woman” or “female.”

Significance: The trichogyne enables the selective fusion necessary for the sexual cycle, leading to the formation of asci and ascospores and contributing to genetic recombination and diversity in fungi.