Non-Mendelian determinants of morphology in fungi

Morphological plasticity is a hallmark of eumycetes. In addition to genes and environment, epigenetic factors control cell, colony and thallus forms in many species, by creating reversible switches. Current knowledge indicates that the different shapes are due to structural or regulatory heritable states of cytoplasmic components. Cellular physiology differs in the various forms, permitting adaptation to fluctuation in the environment. These switches are part of the adaptation repertoire that fungi exhibit to colonize most niches.