The process of producing fruiting body precursors, called protoperithecia. Protoperitheicium is a spherical structure that is formed in the sexual phase of ascomycetous fungi such as Neurospora crassa and Sordaria macrospora. Protoperithecium is formed by the enveloping of ascogonia cells by sterile hyphae and it develops into perithecium.
Source:DOI:10.1007/978-3-642-00286-1_2,
PMID:20739093,
PMID:25311923,
PMID:125266,
PMID:6235212,
PMID:6235211,
PMID:4410944
Comment
Note that this term represents protoperithecium formation across homothallic and heterothallic species that do not have the same mechanism.