Asexual nuclear division in Neocosmospora

Abstract

A fungus isolated from soybean stem material showed marked similarities to two existing species of Neocosmospora, i.e. N. vasinfecta E. F. Smith and N. africana von Arx. The processes of somatic nuclear division in authentic cultures of these two species and the new isolate were examined to determine the nature of the mechanism of nuclear division and whether there were any differences among the cultures. No significant differences were observed. The divisions showed asynchronous anaphase disjunction but there was no evidence of aneuploidy or irregular reconstitution of daughter nuclei. Nuclear division was interpreted as being strictly mitotic.