Physiological and ultrastructural changes occurring during germination of sclerotia of Sclerotium rolfsii

1977 ◽  
Vol 55 (9) ◽  
pp. 1137-1142 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Chet ◽  
D. Timar ◽  
Y. Henis

Sclerotia of Sclerotium rolfsii germinated without the addition of an exogenous nutrient source. The germinating sclerotia excreted sugars and amino acids to the surrounding medium. Continuous washing of sclerotia prevented germination. In germinating sclerotia, the rate of uptake and incorporation into macromolecules of [3H]uridine and[3H]leucine was very low in the first 6 h but increased rapidly during the next 6 h. Electron microscopy of germinating sclerotial slices revealed that only the granulated medullar cells were involved in germ-tube formation. The germination tubes were very electron-dense and had a large number of mitochondria near their tips. The huge vesicles of the cortex cells appeared almost empty in the germinating sclerotium. It is suggested that these cells serve as an external nutrient reservoir for the germination tubes.


1973 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 417-426 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. CASSONE ◽  
N. SIMONETTI ◽  
V. STRIPPOLI


1993 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 363-366
Author(s):  
C. M. Tu ◽  
B. L. Singh

An entomogenous fungus, Entomophthora muscae, was studied morphologically with respect to the formation of primary and secondary conidia and germ tubes. The fungus penetrated the insect cuticle by germ tubes that were produced at the base of each conidium that penetrated directly through the cuticle. Fungal germ-tube formation and penetration of host integument were observed. The tough germ-tube penetration point seemed to provide abundant energy for the penetration of the host integument. Conidia not directly on the integument formed secondary conidia but were never observed to form germ tubes. Neither appressorium nor infection cushion was observed on the germ tubes.Key words: Entomophthora muscae, entomogenous fungus, insect mycosis, insect pathology, conidia.



1983 ◽  
Vol 29 (11) ◽  
pp. 1514-1525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick A. Sullivan ◽  
Chiew Yoke Yin ◽  
Christopher Molloy ◽  
Matthew D. Templeton ◽  
Maxwell G. Shepherd

The uptake of nutrients (glucose, glutamine, and N-acetylglucosamine), the intracellular concentrations of metabolites (glucose-6-phosphate, cyclic AMP, amino acids, trehalose, and glycogen) and cell wall composition were studied in Candida albicans. These analyses were carried out with exponential-phase, stationary-phase, and starved yeast cells, and during germ-tube formation. Germ tubes formed during a 3-h incubation of starved yeast cells (0.8 × 108 cells/mL) at 37 °C during which time the nutrients glucose plus glutamine or N-acetylglucosamine (2.5 mM of each) were completely utilized. Control incubations with these nutrients at 28 °C did not form germ tubes. Uptake of N-acetylglucosamine and glutamine was inhibited by cycloheximide which suggests that de novo protein synthesis was required for the induction of these uptake systems. The glucose-6-phosphate content varied from 0.4 nmol/mg dry weight for starved cells to 2–3 nmol/mg dry weight for growing yeast cells and germ tube forming cells. Trehalose content varied from 85 nmol/mg dry weight (growing yeast cells and germ tube forming cells) to 165 nmol/mg weight (stationary-phase cells). The glycogen content decreased during germ-tube formation (from 800 to 600 nmol glucose equivalent/mg dry weight) but increased (to 1000 nmol glucose equivalent/mg dry weight) in the control incubation of yeast cells. Cyclic AMP remained constant throughout germ-tube formation at 4–6 pmol/mg dry weight. The total amino acid pool was similar in exponential, starved, and germ tube forming cells but there were changes in the amounts of individual amino acids. The overall cell wall composition of yeast cells and germ tube forming cells were similar: lipid (2%, w/w); protein (3–6%), and carbohydrate (77–85%). The total carbohydrates were accounted for as the following fractions: alkali-soluble glucan (3–8%), mannan (20–23%), acid-soluble glucan (24–27%), and acid-insoluble glucan (18–26%). The relative amounts of the alkali-soluble and insoluble glucan changed during starvation of yeast cells, reinitiation of yeast-phase growth, and germ-tube formation. Analysis of the insoluble glucan fraction from cells labelled with [14C]glucose during germ-tube formation showed that the chitin content of the cell wall increased from 0.6% to 2.7% (w/w).



2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serisha Devi Naicker ◽  
Mrudula Patel

The virulence factors ofCandida albicansare germ tube and biofilm formation, adherence to host tissues, and production of hydrolytic enzymes. This study investigated the effect ofDodonaea viscosavar.angustifoliaextract on the germ tube and biofilm formation ofC. albicans. Serum containing the three subinhibitory concentrations of leaf extract was inoculated withC. albicans, incubated, and viewed under a light microscope. Number of cells with germ tube was recorded and the results were analysed using Scheffe test for pairwise comparison. Biofilms were grown on coverslips in the presence of plant extracts and processed for scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Planktonic cells were grown in the presence of plant extract for 6 h and processed for electron microscopy (TEM). The crude plant extract significantly (P<0.01) reduced the germ tube formation ofC. albicansat 3.125 (85.36%), 1.56 (61.91%), and 0.78 mg/mL (26.27%) showing a concentration dependent effect. SEM results showed concentration dependent reduction in biofilm and hyphae formation. TEM results showed that the plant extract caused damage to the cell wall and cell membrane. DVA extract has ability to reduce virulence ofC. albicansby inhibiting germ tube and biofilm formation through damage to the cell wall. Therefore, it has therapeutic potential.



Author(s):  
M. O. Magnusson ◽  
D. G. Osborne ◽  
T. Shimoji ◽  
W. S. Kiser ◽  
W. A. Hawk

Short term experimental and clinical preservation of kidneys is presently best accomplished by hypothermic continuous pulsatile perfusion with cryoprecipitated and millipore filtered plasma. This study was undertaken to observe ultrastructural changes occurring during 24-hour preservation using the above mentioned method.A kidney was removed through a midline incision from healthy mongrel dogs under pentobarbital anesthesia. The kidneys were flushed immediately after removal with chilled electrolyte solution and placed on a LI-400 preservation system and perfused at 8-10°C. Serial kidney biopsies were obtained at 0-½-1-2-4-8-16 and 24 hours of preservation. All biopsies were prepared for electron microscopy. At the end of the preservation period the kidneys were autografted.



Author(s):  
A. P. Lupulescu ◽  
H. Pinkus ◽  
D. J. Birmingham

Our laboratory is engaged in the study of the effect of different chemical agents on human skin, using electron microscopy. Previous investigations revealed that topical use of a strong alkali (NaOH 1N) or acid (HCl 1N), induces ultrastructural changes in the upper layers of human epidermis. In the current experiments, acetone and kerosene, which are primarily lipid solvents, were topically used on the volar surface of the forearm of Caucasian and Negro volunteers. Skin specimens were bioptically removed after 90 min. exposure and 72. hours later, fixed in 3% buffered glutaraldehyde, postfixed in 1% phosphate osmium tetroxide, then flat embedded in Epon.



2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (9) ◽  
pp. 923-929
Author(s):  
Gaurav Pandey ◽  
Prem Prakash Das ◽  
Vibin Ramakrishnan

Background: RADA-4 (Ac-RADARADARADARADA-NH2) is the most extensively studied and marketed self-assembling peptide, forming hydrogel, used to create defined threedimensional microenvironments for cell culture applications. Objectives: In this work, we use various biophysical techniques to investigate the length dependency of RADA aggregation and assembly. Methods: We synthesized a series of RADA-N peptides, N ranging from 1 to 4, resulting in four peptides having 4, 8, 12, and 16 amino acids in their sequence. Through a combination of various biophysical methods including thioflavin T fluorescence assay, static right angle light scattering assay, Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), electron microscopy, CD, and IR spectroscopy, we have examined the role of chain-length on the self-assembly of RADA peptide. Results: Our observations show that the aggregation of ionic, charge-complementary RADA motifcontaining peptides is length-dependent, with N less than 3 are not forming spontaneous selfassemblies. Conclusion: The six biophysical experiments discussed in this paper validate the significance of chain-length on the epitaxial growth of RADA peptide self-assembly.





2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mutsumi Yokota ◽  
Soichiro Kakuta ◽  
Takahiro Shiga ◽  
Kei-ichi Ishikawa ◽  
Hideyuki Okano ◽  
...  

AbstractMitochondrial structural changes are associated with the regulation of mitochondrial function, apoptosis, and neurodegenerative diseases. PRKN is known to be involved with various mechanisms of mitochondrial quality control including mitochondrial structural changes. Parkinson’s disease (PD) with PRKN mutations is characterized by the preferential degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta, which has been suggested to result from the accumulation of damaged mitochondria. However, ultrastructural changes of mitochondria specifically in dopaminergic neurons derived from iPSC have rarely been analyzed. The main reason for this would be that the dopaminergic neurons cannot be distinguished directly among a mixture of iPSC-derived differentiated cells under electron microscopy. To selectively label dopaminergic neurons and analyze mitochondrial morphology at the ultrastructural level, we generated control and PRKN-mutated patient tyrosine hydroxylase reporter (TH-GFP) induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines. Correlative light-electron microscopy analysis and live cell imaging of GFP-expressing dopaminergic neurons indicated that iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons had smaller and less functional mitochondria than those in non-dopaminergic neurons. Furthermore, the formation of spheroid-shaped mitochondria, which was induced in control dopaminergic neurons by a mitochondrial uncoupler, was inhibited in the PRKN-mutated dopaminergic neurons. These results indicate that our established TH-GFP iPSC lines are useful for characterizing mitochondrial morphology, such as spheroid-shaped mitochondria, in dopaminergic neurons among a mixture of various cell types. Our in vitro model would provide insights into the vulnerability of dopaminergic neurons and the processes leading to the preferential loss of dopaminergic neurons in patients with PRKN mutations.



Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 554
Author(s):  
Natália Salomão ◽  
Michelle Brendolin ◽  
Kíssila Rabelo ◽  
Mayumi Wakimoto ◽  
Ana Maria de Filippis ◽  
...  

Intrauterine transmission of the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) during early pregnancy has rarely been reported, although vertical transmission has been observed in newborns. Here, we report four cases of spontaneous abortion in women who became infected with CHIKV between the 11th and 17th weeks of pregnancy. Laboratorial confirmation of the infection was conducted by RT-PCR on a urine sample for one case, and the other three were by detection of IgM anti-CHIKV antibodies. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and an electron microscopy assay allowed us to find histopathological, such as inflammatory infiltrate in the decidua and chorionic villi, as well as areas of calcification, edema and the deposition of fibrinoid material, and ultrastructural changes, such as mitochondria with fewer cristae and ruptured membranes, endoplasmic reticulum with dilated cisterns, dispersed chromatin in the nuclei and the presence of an apoptotic body in case 1. In addition, by immunohistochemistry (IHC), we found a positivity for the anti-CHIKV antibody in cells of the endometrial glands, decidual cells, syncytiotrophoblasts, cytotrophoblasts, Hofbauer cells and decidual macrophages. Electron microscopy also helped in identifying virus-like particles in the aborted material with a diameter of 40–50 nm, which was consistent with the size of CHIKV particles in the literature. Our findings in this study suggest early maternal fetal transmission, adding more evidence on the role of CHIKV in fetal death.



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