Clamp connection

• When the dikaryotic cell is ready to divide a pouch like outgrowth called clamp arises from its wall between the two nuclei (Fig 3). Now the two nuclei of the cell divide simultaneously (conjugate division) and from four daughter nuclei.

• Out of four nuclei generally the lower one of the upper pair passes into the outgrowth. Thereafter, two septa are laid down in such a way that one septum appears at the base of clamp and another vertical septum separates the clamp.

• This results in the formation of three cells, a terminal dikaryotic cell, a sub terminal uninucleate cell and a uninucleate clamp cell.

• The clamp cell grows into hook like structure and later fuses with the subterminal cell and from a bridge and called as clamp connection. 

• Finally, the nucleus from the clamp migrates into sub-terminal cell and the later also becomes binucleate. The clamp connection thus simply functions as a bypass.

• The new dikaryotic cells are continuously formed by repetition of this process.