Heterokaryon
In biology, a heterokaryon is a multinucleate cell that contains genetically different nuclei. This is a special type of syncytium. This can occur naturally, such as in the mycelium of fungi during sexual reproduction, or artificially as formed by the experimental fusion of two genetically different cells, as e.g., in hybridoma technology.
Etymology
The term heterokaryosis for the property of having genetically unlike nucleiis borrowed from the German Heterokaryosis, which was coined by the German botanist Hans Burgeff in a 1912 paper about his work on the fungus Phycomyces nitens.
It is based on Greek hetero, meaning "different," and karyon, meaning "kernel" or in this case "nucleus.".
Occurrence
Heterokaryons are found in the life cycle of yeasts, for example Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a genetic model organism. The heterokaryon stage is produced from the fusion of two haploid cells. This transient heterokaryon can produce further haploid buds, or cell nuclei can fuse and produce a diploid cell, which can then undergo mitosis.Ciliate protozoans
The term was first used for ciliate protozoans such as Tetrahymena. This has two types of cell nuclei, a large, somatic macronucleus and a small, germline micronucleus. Both exist in a single cell at the same time and carry out different functions with distinct cytological and biochemical properties.True fungi
Many fungi exhibit heterokaryosis. The haploid nuclei within a mycelium may differ from one another not merely by accumulating mutations, but by the non-sexual fusion of genetically distinct fungal hyphae, although a self / non-self recognition system exists in Fungi and usually prevents fusions with non-self.Heterokaryosis is also common upon mating, as in Dikarya. Mating requires the encounter of two haploid nuclei of compatible mating types. These nuclei do not immediately fuse, and remain haploid in a n+n state until the very onset of meiosis: this phenomenon is called delayed karyogamy. Heterokaryosis can lead to individuals that have different nuclei in different parts of their mycelium, although in ascomycetes, particularly in "Neurospora", nuclei have been shown to flow and mix throughout the mycelium. In heterokaryons, the notion of individual itself becomes vague since the rule of “one genome = one individual” does not apply any more. Genetic heterogeneity within an individual is indeed usually considered to be detrimental, as selfish variants may be selected for and disrupt the integrity of the individual level.