Trichogynes

Trichogynes are receptive hyphal extensions produced by the female or compatible mating partner in many fungi, particularly within the Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. They function as the initial contact point for male or compatible hyphae and facilitate the first stage of sexual fusion by enabling cytoplasmic exchange between mating types.

Morphology and development-wise, a trichogyne arises from a receptive hypha or thallus and grows toward signals emitted by a potential male partner. The extension is typically slender and directed, sometimes growing a considerable distance to locate a compatible partner. Upon contact with the male hypha or antheridium-like structure, cytoplasmic fusion proceeds between the two partners.

Functionally, the trichogyne serves as the conduit for plasmogamy, the fusion of cytoplasm from opposite mating types. Depending on the fungal lineage, nuclei from the partners may unite later in a subsequent step (karyogamy), or a persistent dikaryotic phase may follow. After successful fusion, the trichogyne’s role generally diminishes as the developing reproductive structures expand.

Trichogynes are described across a range of fungi that rely on sexual reproduction, and they illustrate how directed hyphal growth and chemical signaling coordinate mate recognition and cytoplasmic mixing. The term emphasizes the specificity of the female partner’s receptive surface and its role in initiating fertilization, rather than in subsequent nuclear fusion itself.