Ultrastructure of basidiospore germination in Fomes fomentarius

1978 ◽  
Vol 56 (22) ◽  
pp. 2865-2872 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ichiko Tsuneda ◽  
Lorene L. Kennedy

Germination of basidiospores in Fomes fomentarius (Fries) Kickx is bipolar with germ tubes emerging at both ends. Ungerminated spores are smooth with a thick cell wall consisting of two layers: an outer thin, electron-dense layer and an inner thick, electron-light layer. During the early stage of germination, two additional cell wall layers are formed: a very thin, electron-dense layer and a relatively thick, electron-light layer. Germ tube walls originate from these newly formed, inner layers. Ungerminated spores are uninucleate and contain numerous lipid bodies, ribosomes, and cisternae of endoplasmic reticulum. Germinated spores have distinct mitochondria and an invaginated plasma membrane and are usually devoid of endoplasmic reticulum.

1976 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 92-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gordon M. Murray ◽  
Douglas P. Maxwell

Multicelled conidia of Stemphylium sarcinaeforme germinate in water forming several germ tubes. Individual cells within conidia are connected by pores which are plugged in ungerminated conidia and open in germinated ones. During germination, vacuoles enlarge, endoplasmic reticulum profiles increase in number, and mitochondria change from spherical to elongate. The germ tube wall is laid down at the site of emergence from the conidium. Shortly after germination, a septum with a central pore forms where the germ tube emerged. The germ tube wall is surrounded by a fibrillar sheath. Lipid bodies are closely associated with vacuoles during germination. The ultrastructural location of lipid was found by extraction of conidia with lipid solvents. Total lipid decreases from 14.4% of the dry weight of ungerminated conidia to 13.4% of the dry weight of conidia germinated for 10 h. No qualitative changes occurred in the major lipid classes of conidia during germination. The activities of lipase and acid phosphatase were detected in ungerminated and germinated conidia.


1966 ◽  
Vol 44 (11) ◽  
pp. 1495-1503 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary A. Ehrlich ◽  
Howard G. Ehrlich

The ultrastructure of the mycelium of both Phytophthora infestans and P. parasitica is consistent with that reported for other Oomycetes. A distinct plasmalemma, porate nuclei, tubular endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria with tubular cristae, Golgi dictyosomes, and lipid bodies are present within the protoplast. The haustoria produced by P. infestans in the leaves of susceptible potato varieties consist of an expanded haustorial head surrounded by a fungus wall which is continuous with the wall of the intercellular mycelium. The haustorium lacks the long narrow stalk or neck often associated with this organ, and there is considerable cytoplasmic continuity between the haustorium and the intercellular mycelium. All P. infestans haustoria observed were anucleate and generally contained only a few mitochondria and sparse endoplasmic reticulum. The haustorium is enclosed in an encapsulation surrounded by a membrane which is continuous with the host plasmalemma. There is no evidence, around any portion of the haustorium, of a sheath originating from the cell wall of the host. A survey of the current literature on the ultrastructure of the Eumycotinia shows that the parasitic fungi exhibit no unique cytoplasmic features when compared with non-parasitic fungi, and the ultrastructure of the haustoria-producing facultative saprophyte is similar to that of the obligate parasites.


1970 ◽  
Vol 48 (12) ◽  
pp. 2305-2308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christos Christias ◽  
Kenneth F. Baker

Electron microscopy revealed that numerous spherical or ellipsoidal globules of reserve nutrient material fill the chlamydospore cells, with cytoplasm as a thin film between these globules. The basal cell of the chain is not a chlamydospore; it is filled with cytoplasm and does not contain these globules. Its plasma membrane, nucleus, mitochondria, lomasomes, and endoplasmic reticulum are evident in ultra-thin section. The walls of chlamydospore cells are thick and without distinct layers, except for an electron-dense outer region and a more electron-transparent inner region. Chlamydospore cells in the chain are separated by a very thin electron-transparent binding layer. A thin two-layered envelope surrounds the entire chain. When chlamydospore chains are treated with chitinase, this envelope remains attached around single separated cells, rather than dissolving away. Cytoplasm of cells in the chain is continuous through septal pores. The end walls of the cells become the opercula after the cells are freed from the chain. The germ tube always emerges at the side where the operculum opens, never through the septal pore.


1989 ◽  
Vol 67 (9) ◽  
pp. 2576-2589 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Latgé ◽  
D. F. Perry ◽  
M. C. Prévost ◽  
R. A. Samson

Wall development during primary spore formation, discharge, and germination of Entomophthorales is emphasized in ultrastructural studies of Conidiobolus, Entomophaga, Neozygites, and Erynia. In the fungi examined, spore and sporophore walls consist of a thick, electron-translucent inner layer and a thin, electron-dense outer layer. During spore formation, cytoplasm of the supporting sporophore cell migrates into the spore initial. As the former cell empties, a septum develops. Discharge is caused by inversion of the papillum, which lacks the electron-dense layer. Only in Erynia did the two spore wall layers separate upon impact. Intracytoplasmic organization of the primary spore is typical of the Zygomycotina; the morphology of organelles was characteristic of species, whereas nuclear ultrastructure was consistent within genera. Conidiobolus nuclei have a prominent nucleolus that lacks heterochromatin, in contrast with the other genera where large patches of heterochromatin were observed. Upon germination, no rupture of the spore outer layer was observed other than at points of germ tube emergence. The germ tube wall was continuous with the inner spore wall layer. The results are discussed in reference to Entomophthorales taxonomy and definition of the terms conidium and monosporous sporangiolum.


1992 ◽  
Vol 70 (9) ◽  
pp. 1724-1733 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mei-Lee Wu ◽  
Richard T. Hanlin

The mode of penetration and infection of the peanut leaf by Leptosphaerulina crassiasca were studied by means of light and electron microscopy. The attachment of the multicellular ascospores to the leaf surface was by a mucilagenous sheath that covered the ascospores at maturity. This sheath expanded rapidly in moisture and it extended along the germ tube as it elongated. Two types of germ tubes appeared to be formed, a short one and a relatively long one. Short germ tubes were not delimited by septa, and they penetrated the cuticle and host epidermal cell wall directly without appressorium formation. Penetration occurred 2–6 h after inoculation. The wall was breached by a relatively broad infection hypha that expanded in width inside the host cell wall. The lack of mechanical rupture at the infection site indicated that penetration may involve enzymatic activity. Intracellular hyphae were present in the epidermal cells, but only intercellular hyphae occurred in the palisade and spongy mesophyll tissues. The intercellular hyphae were frequently appressed to the outer surface of the host cell wall. Infected areas rarely exceeded 1 mm in diameter, and they were only sparsely colonized by hyphae of the pathogen. Host cells in the vicinity of hyphae underwent senescence and death. One to 2 months after inoculation, pseudothecia formed in the dead tissues of detached leaves. In some instances the presence of penetration hyphae by short germ tubes induced the formation of a papilla inside the host cell wall, which either restricted growth of the infection hypha or resulted in the death of the germ tube and the cell from which it arose. Long germ tubes were delimited by simple septa and they terminated in an appressorium; however, details of their behavior were not studied. Key words: Arachis hypogaea, Ascomycotina, Dothideales, leaf scorch, pepper spot.


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).


Author(s):  
Stephanie J. Smith ◽  
Rohini J. Manuel

Fungi are found ubiquitously in the environment such as soil, water, and food. There are an estimated 1.5 million fungal species worldwide, although this number is felt to be grossly underestimated and is regularly updated. Of these vast numbers, around 500 fungi to date have been implicated in human disease. As opposed to bacteria, which are prokaryotes, fungi are eukaryotes, meaning they have a well-defined nucleus and have membrane- bound organelles in the cytoplasm, including an endoplasmic reticulum and a golgi apparatus. In 1969, the scientist R. H. Whittaker first proposed that organisms be classified into five kingdoms: Monera (Bacteria), Protista (Algae and Protozoans), Plantae (Plants), Mycetae (Fungi), and Animalia (Animals). Since then, there have been dramatic changes to the classifications of fungi, largely due to the appliance of phylogenetic molecular techniques. This has resulted in variances to the number of phylums, and the species assigned to them. Table 3.1 shows the seven phyla of the Fungi Kingdom. The majority of fungi pathogenic to humans inhabit the Ascomycota and Basidiomycota phyla. Fungi used to be dually named if they had a pleomorphic life cycle with sexual/ asexual stages (teleomorph/ anamorph, respectively), which meant that fungi often had two names and were classed differently. This practice was discontinued in January 2013 after the International Commission on the Taxonomy of Fungi decided that a ‘one fungus, one name’ approach should be followed. Fungi can be unicellular (yeast) or multicellular (fungi). Yeasts may look globose in nature when grown, whereas multicellular fungi grow as tubular, filamentous material called hyphae that can create a branching, hyphal network called a mycelium. Hyphae may have septa that cross their walls or be nonseptate, which is a method of differentiating fungi. An early hyphal outgrowth from a spore is called a germ tube. The germ tube test can be used to differentiate the yeasts Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis from other Candida species. The fungal cell wall is composed of chitin and glucans, which are different components to the human cell wall. This means that they can be an effective target for antifungal therapy.


2004 ◽  
Vol 155 (12) ◽  
pp. 523-527 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Keunecke ◽  
Sebastian Baum

The tension wood of some deciduous trees is characterised by fibres that form an additional cell wall layer, the so-called «gelatinous layer» (g-layer). The chronology of g-layer formation in the process of cell wall differentiation and lignification was investigated using two-year old poplars (Populus tremula L.). For this purpose the pinning-method was applied. The results show that the g-layer formation probably takes place at an early stage of secondary wall formation.


1970 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 273-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. L. Mitchell ◽  
W. E. McKeen

Measurements made from electron micrographs of serial sections and from thoroughly plasmolyzed conidia indicate that more than 50% of the volume of the conidia of Sphaerotheca macularis consists of vacuoles in which most of the water in the conidia is stored. Electron-dense granules inside the vacuoles evidently include storage materials. Some developing vacuoles, particularly those of the germ tube, enclose membrane-bound bodies resembling lysosomes which later disappear as the vacuoles enlarge. Conspicuous multimembraned myelin-like bodies project inside the vacuolar cavity, their membranes being continuous with the vacuolar membrane. These bodies are believed to function in the synthesis of new cytoplasmic materials from the reserves in the vacuoles.The conidium, which may later produce up to four germ tubes, always retains a nucleus. The nucleus contains a peripheral granule which maintains a leading position on migrating nuclei and divides into two during the initial stages of nuclear division.Germ tubes respond positively to the stimulus of unilateral illumination and are produced on the illuminated sides of the conidia. Cytoplasmic changes which accompany germination include the increase in number and size of mitochondria, particularly in the germ tube. Their multiplication appears to be by fission. Endoplasmic reticulum is greatly increased and ribosomes are more abundant. Aggregated granules resembling glycogen particles also occur, these not being usually seen in resting conidia.


Respecting the various modes by which parasitic fungi gain access to the interior of the host-plant, much is known. De Bary (1) demonstrated that the germ-tubes of secidiospores and uredospores enter solely through the stomata, whereas germ-tubes of teleutospores, and also those of various other parasites, enter by piercing the walls of the epidermal cells, or of the guard-cells of the stomata. Other fungi gain an entrance sometimes by a stoma, sometimes by piercing the wall of an epidermal cell. The same author also observed that the zoospores of Cytopus and of Peronospora umbelliferarum , when deposited on the leaf of a suitable host-plant, germinate and the germ-tube enters a stoma, whereas when germination takes place in water the germ-tubes soon die. Marshall Ward has shown (2) that in the case of a species of Botrytis an entrance into the host-plant through the cell-walls of the epidermis is effected by means of the secretion of a ferment by the tip of the germ-tube, whereby the substance of the cell-wall is softened.


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