The fine structure of two rust fungi, Puccinia helianthi and Melampsora lini

1972 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 231-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael D. Coffey ◽  
Barry A. Palevitz ◽  
Paul J. Allen

The parasitic phase of the uredial stage of rust fungus infection is characterized by the formation of a specialized structure—the haustorium. The haustorial neck contains a band of darkly staining wall material, the length of which is dependent on the fungal species. In older infected tissues a collar sometimes develops at the site of penetration. In such cells, the host plasmalemma appears to double back on itself between the collar and the haustorial neck. The mitochondria of the haustorium contain many plate-like cristae and, less frequently, concentric whorls of membranes. Cytoplasmic microtubules are also observed in both the neck and body of the haustorium. Centriolar plaques are found appressed to the nuclear envelopes in both the hyphae and haustoria. They frequently consist of two amorphous regions which are connected by a rod-shaped, layered structure. The septal pore of the intercellular hyphae contains a plug of electron-transparent material. Surrounding it is a matrix of dense amorphous cytoplasm devoid of organelles which is bordered by a hemispherical array of microbodies containing crystals. Axenic cultures of Melampsora lini mycelium were examined and found to contain similar septal pore regions. These cultures also show some differences from the parasitic hyphae. The septa-associated microbodies in these cells appear to derive from an aggregate of tubular endoplasmic reticulum cisternae. Their mitochondria differ from those of the intercellular hyphae in having more and longer, plate-like cristae and a denser staining matrix. They therefore represent a type intermediate between those of the intercellular hyphae and the haustoria. The pseudoparenchymatous stroma of the axenic cultures contains cells of widely divergent ages. Some are young as determined by their dense cytoplasmic contents and large lobed nuclei. However, others are older, with large vacuoles and many lipid bodies. In some cases they have thick cell walls consisting of many layers.

1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 189-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosalinda Boasson ◽  
Michael Shaw

The number of mycelial colonies of Melampsora lini (Ehrenb.) Lév. was increased by a 2-h heat shock at 31 °C delivered 3 h after uredospores were seeded on a liquid medium at 17 ± 0.5 °C under axenic conditions. At 35–38 days from seeding, the ratio of the respective number of colonies in shock and nonshock treatments in 125-mL culture flasks was highest (7.5 to 22) at inoculum levels (1 to 4 × 103 uredospores cm−2) that yielded about 10 colonies per flask without heat shock; the ratio declined sharply at inoculum levels adjusted to yield either smaller or larger numbers of colonies per flask without heat shock. Sporulation (extinction at 458 nm) and protein per colony were positively correlated; were not directly affected by heat shock; were determined by colony number; increased to maxima as mean colony number per flask increased from 1 or less to from 10 to 100 in different experiments; and decreased at higher colony numbers per flask. The results indicate that heat shock promotes the initiation of colonies; that colony number determines the duration of logarithmic growth; and that increasing competition among individual colonies is the primary factor limiting growth and sporulation, whether or not the uredospore germlings are subjected to heat shock.


1971 ◽  
Vol 49 (12) ◽  
pp. 2067-2073 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. J. Littlefield ◽  
C. E. Bracker

The urediospores of Melampsora lini (Ehrenb.) Lev. are echinulate, with spines ca. 1 μ long over their surface. The spines are electron-transparent, conical projections, with their basal portion embedded in the electron-dense spore wall. The entire spore, including the spines, is covered by a wrinkled pellicle ca. 150–200 Å thick. The spore wall consists of three recognizable layers in addition to the pellicle. Spines form initially as small deposits at the inner surface of the spore wall adjacent to the plasma membrane. Endoplasmic reticulum occurs close to the plasma membrane in localized areas near the base of spines. During development, the spore wall thickens, and the spines increase in size. Centripetal growth of the wall encases the spines in the wall material. The spines progressively assume a more external position in the spore wall and finally reside at the outer surface of the wall. A mutant strain with finely verrucose spores was compared to the wild type. The warts on the surface of the mutant spores are rounded, electron-dense structures ca. 0.2–0.4 μ high, in contrast to spines of the wild type. Their initiation near the inner surface of the spore wall and their eventual placement on the outer surface of the spore are similar to that of spines. The wall is thinner in mutant spores than in wild-type spores.


1979 ◽  
Vol 57 (23) ◽  
pp. 2657-2662 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosalinda Boasson ◽  
Michael Shaw

In axenic cultures of flax rust (Melampsora lini) colonies are initiated after a lag period of 12–20 days, depending partly on incubation temperatures. Colony initiation is completely inhibited by removal of a volatile factor which is absorbed by KOH in the air space of the culture flask. The fungus remains sensitive to this inhibition for 8–10 days, i.e., until shortly before visible colonies would normally have developed. While in the presence of KOH, the fungus is not killed; cultures grow normally after removal of the KOH.Although conclusive evidence must await further work, the available data strongly suggest that carbon dioxide is responsible for this effect.


1968 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 453-460 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Mitchell ◽  
Michael Shaw

Mycelium of the flax rust fungus (Melampsora lini (Pers.) Lév.), grown on flax cotyledons in tissue culture, had a mean [Formula: see text]of 4.1 and a mean C6/C1 ratio of 0.14, measured after 4 hours in radioactive glucose. The C6/C1 ratio increased with time and also after treatment with 10−5 M 2,4-dinitrophenol. The relative labelling of the (80%) ethanol-soluble carbohydrates, and organic and amino acid fractions after incubation with glucose-1-, -2-, or -6-14C also indicated preferential release of C1 as 14CO2. Trehalose (unknown A) was tentatively identified in the carbohydrate fraction and was mildly radioactive after incubation of the mycelium with labelled glucose for 3 hours. The principal radioactive products of glucose in this fraction were two unknowns, B and C, which were tentatively identified as mannitol and arabitol. The labelling patterns were consistent with their formation from intermediates of the pentose phosphate pathway. The distribution of radioactivity derived from glucose in alanine, glutamate, and aspartate also indicated that hexose or triose units formed in the pentose phosphate pathway were converted to pyruvate, which either gave rise to alanine or was further oxidized in the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Incubation with pyruvate-1-, -2-, or -3-14C for 3 hours gave rise to 14CO2 and labelled alanine, glutamate, and aspartate in a manner consistent with the operation of the TCA cycle. Mannitol-1-6-14C was not metabolized to any appreciable extent in this period, but did give rise to 14CO2 and to several unidentified compounds in the carbohydrate fraction.


BMC Genomics ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Anderson ◽  
Muhammad Adil Khan ◽  
Ann-Maree Catanzariti ◽  
Cameron A. Jack ◽  
Adnane Nemri ◽  
...  

1969 ◽  
Vol 47 (11) ◽  
pp. 1816-1817 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. G. Williams

Hyphae of the wheat stem rust fungus form short, lateral projections under conditions of artificial culture that are unfavorable for saprophytic growth. It is suggested that the structures are homologous with the haustoria of intercellular rust mycelium.


1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (8) ◽  
pp. 1655-1665 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. C. Swann ◽  
C. W. Mims

Aeciospores of Arthuriomyces peckianus germinated readily on moist strips of dialysis membrane and developing appressoria were observed within 3 to 6 h after spores were deposited on membranes. A single germ tube typically emerged from each binucleate spore and grew until its tip contacted the dialysis membrane. The germ tube tip was then transformed into a swollen appressorium that adhered tightly to the membrane, apparently as a result of an extracellular material that surrounded the appressorium base. Virtually all the spore cytoplasm and both nuclei moved into the germ tube and developing appressorium. Following a synchronous mitotic division of the two nuclei, a septum formed to delimit the now tetranucleate appressorium from the germ tube. As the appressorium matured, an apparently wall-less region developed in the central portion of the appressorium appressed against the dialysis membrane. In this region the fungus plasma membrane appeared to make direct contact with the underlying dialysis membrane. A funnel-like or cone-like structure referred to as the appressorial cone then developed in the wall-less region. The appressorial cone extended up into the cytoplasm of the appressorium and was lined by the fungal plasma membrane. Numerous branched elaborations of the plasma membrane were associated with the inner portion of the cone. Key words: rust fungus, infection structures, electron microscopy.


1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (8) ◽  
pp. 1418-1422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosalinda Boasson ◽  
Michael Shaw

Uredospore production by axenically grown flax rust (Melampsora lini (Ehrenb.) Lev.) was measured as carotenoids (extinction units at 458 nm) per milligram protein. Sporulation was not affected by raising (flushing with 1–5% (v/v) CO2 in air) or lowering (KOH well in culture flasks) the level of CO2 in the air space above the cultures. Significant (two- to four-fold) increases in sporulation occurred beneath impermeable membranes of Parafilm or Saran wrap placed on the surface of young (3 weeks from seeding) mycelial mats for 2 weeks. The stimulatory effect was confined strictly to those areas of the mycelial mats in contact with the membranes. Both Parafilm and Saran wrap were easily and cleanly peeled away from the mycelial mats. Permeable Unipore and HVHP membranes, to which the fungus adhered strongly, did not stimulate sporulation. The fungus did not adhere to Unipore or HVHP membranes treated with silicone or paraffin oil; membranes thus treated stimulated sporulation. The stimulatory effect of membranes on sporulation appears to depend on the nature of the contact between the membrane surface and the mycelium and to be unrelated to the effect of the membranes on the diffusion of gases or other volatile substances.


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