A histological study of the invasive and developmental processes of the aphid pathogen Erynia neoaphidis (Zygomycotina: Entomophthorales) in the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum

On landing on the surface of an aphid host, the primary conidium of Erynia neoaphidis produced either a secondary conidium, a germ tube, or an appressorium. Appressoria were usually globose or clavate and each produced a single penetration peg. A circular bore hole marked the penetration site. Once the fungus had breached the cuticle, it formed protoplasts that failed to elicit an obvious immune response and multiplied rapidly in the haemocoel and in tissues. When the body of the host was occluded (about 3 days after penetration at 20 °C), the protoplasts regenerated a wall and differentiated into rhizoids, which were confined to the midventral region of the dead insect, pseudocystidia, and conidiophores. The rhizoids terminated in a digitate holdfast that adhered firmly to the plant cuticle but did not penetrate it. Conidiophores appeared to break out through the host cuticle using a combination of enzymatic and mechanical means. Key words: Erynia neoaphidis, Entomophthorales, infection, development, aphid.

Ultrastructure of conidial and microconidial ontogeny of Marssonina species pathogenic to poplars

Conidial and microconidial ontogeny of Marssonina brunnea, M. castagnei, and M. populi was annellidic. The primary conidium and microconidium developed holoblastically and a new slightly higher conidiogenous locus was formed with each percurrent vegetative proliferation through the annellophore apex. Delimiting septa were perforate with Woronin bodies and electron-dense septal pore plugs were observed in the bases of seceded conidia and microconidia.

Fine structure of conidiogenesis in the mosquito pathogen Culicinomyces clavosporus (Deuteromycotina)

Conidiogenesis in Culicinomyces clavosporus Couch, Romney, and Rao (Deuteromycotina) is initiated with the growth of conidiogenous cells from vegetative hyphae. Formation of the primary conidium itself begins with a conidial initial which grows through the bilaminar wall at the tip of the conidiogenous cell, wall remnants of the conidiogenous cell often collapsing to form a collarette at the base of conidia. This factor, in addition to the fixed conidiogenous locus, shows that the conidiogenous cell is a phialide. As the conidial initial enlarges, a bilaminar well is synthesized around the cell, and cytoplasmic organelles migrate through the neck of the phialide into the initial. Once the conidium is mature, a septum is formed across the open neck of the phialide and two organelles (dense-core vesicles and autophagosomes), unique to conidia, become evident. The mode of development is enteroblastic–phialidic; Culicinomyces clavosporus is placed therefore in section IVB of the Hughes–Tubaki–Barron classification scheme described by B. Kendrick for the Deuteromycotina.

The ultrastructure of the Spilocaea state of Venturia inaequalis in vivo

There are indications that the fungus enzymatically degrades the cuticle and epidermal cell wall. The epidermal cells and to a lesser degree the palisade mesophyll cells beneath a sporulating lesion (susceptible reaction) are killed or seriously disrupted. Various stages of conidiogenesis, including development of the primary conidium, were observed. A conidium is delimited by a two-layered transverse septum. Before conidium secession, a new two-layered inner wall is laid down around the entire conidiogenous cell adjacent to the plasmalemma. The apical region of the new inner wall proliferates beyond the annellation scar left by the seceded conidium and eventually produces another conidium.

The fine structure of conidium development in Phialocephala dimorphospora

Sequential developmental stages from synchronously sporulating cultures of Phialocephala dimorphospora Kendrick have been examined. Apical vesicles characterize growth of the primary conidium. These are not, however, seen during secondary conidium formation; instead, large vesicles containing minute membrane fragments develop just below the phialide neck and contribute to wall formation as they fuse with the plasmalemma. The occurrence of microtubules in the neck of the phialide is restricted to primary conidium formation. Just as the primary conidial initial begins to swell, electron-dense granules 50-75 nm in diameter arise in association with the plasmalemma. Such granules are not seen during secondary conidium formation; they are thought to be involved in pigment deposition in the collarette. During both primary and secondary conidium production the conidia go through a sequence of maturation in which the cytoplasm becomes very dense and contains lipid bodies and flocculent aggregations of electron-transparent granules. Subsequently the conidia become less electron dense and reveal a simple internal substructure consisting of a nucleus, mitochondria, micro-bodies, free ribosomes, and presumed storage bodies. The plasmalemma becomes convoluted in a network of interdigitated grooves. Septum formation occurs rapidly and involves the fusion of vesicles with the lateral wall. Mature septa are non-perforate. Although Woronin bodies have been repeatedly observed in young conidia, they are never seen in mature conidia. Myelin figures associated with mitochondria occur consistently in the body of the phialide during conidiation. These may be the source of the lipid bodies in the conidia. In phialides from cultures over 1 week old, signs of senescence are apparent. These include vacuolization of the upper portion of the phialide and the presence of many disorganized sheets of membrane. Spores still present within the collarette of such phialides are smaller than those produced early in the life of the phialide.