An autospore is a non-motile (non-

flagellated A flagellum (; ) is a hairlike appendage that protrudes from certain plant and animal sperm cells, and from a wide range of microorganisms to provide Motility#Cellular level, motility. Many protists with flagella are termed as flagellates. A m ...

) aplanospore that is produced within a parent cell, and has the same shape as the parent cell, before release. Autospores, in addition to zoospore and aplanospore, are one of the three types of spores that

algae Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular micr ...

use to reproduce and spread asexually. Autospores occur in several groups of

, including

Eustigmatophyceae Eustigmatophytes are a small group (17 genera; ~107 species) of eukaryotic forms of algae that includes marine, freshwater and soil-living species. All eustigmatophytes are unicellular, with coccoid cells and polysaccharide cell walls. Eust ...

Dinoflagellate The dinoflagellates ( Greek δῖνος ''dinos'' "whirling" and Latin ''flagellum'' "whip, scourge") are a monophyletic group of single-celled eukaryotes constituting the phylum Dinoflagellata and are usually considered algae. Dinoflagellates are ...

s and

green algae The green algae (singular: green alga) are a group consisting of the Prasinodermophyta and its unnamed sister which contains the Chlorophyta and Charophyta/ Streptophyta. The land plants (Embryophytes) have emerged deep in the Charophyte alga ...

. For example, the colonial alga '' Dichotomococcus'' produces two autospores per reproducing cell; the autospores escape through a slit in the

cell wall A cell wall is a structural layer surrounding some types of cells, just outside the cell membrane. It can be tough, flexible, and sometimes rigid. It provides the cell with both structural support and protection, and also acts as a filtering mec ...

and remain attached to the mother cell.

Autospore Formation

An autospore is defined one of the daughter cells formed by the internal division of a single cell. Autospores are formed as a result of fission in the mitotic phase of cell division of green algae. There are multiple methods that a cell can take to form autospores. The cell can undergo a multiple fission after 2 nuclear divisions where 4 autospores will form which is the preferred mechanism in organisms such as ''P. subcapitata''. In addition to this mechanism, there is binary fission (the split into 2 autospores) also known as the "two-autospore type" and the "eight-autospore type". There are two stages of autospore formation. There is moderate synthesis during the process of cell growth. During the cell division stage, there is rapid synthesis. After being released from the cell's autosporangium, the cell will begin to synthesis a new daughter cell.

Notes

Bibliography

Yamagishi T, Yamaguchi H, Suzuki S, Horie Y, Tatarazako N (2017) Cell reproductive patterns in the green alga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata (=Selenastrum capricornutum) and their variations under exposure to the typical toxicants potassium dichromate and 3,5-DCP. PLoS ONE 12(2): e0171259. doi:10.1371/journal. pone.0171259 Autospore , Definition of Autospore by Merriam-Webster. Yamamoto, M. (Tokyo Univ. (Japan)) ; Fujishita, M ; Hirata, A ; Kawano, S: Journal of plant research, 2004-08, Vol.117 (4), p.257-264 Gärtner, Georg ; Stoyneva, Maya P ; Uzunov, Blagoy A ; Mancheva, Antonia D ; Ingolić, Elisabeth: Fottea (Praha), 2012-09-01, Vol.12 (2), p.273-280 Green algae Dinoflagellate biology Fungal morphology and anatomy Germ cells {{cell-biology-stub