Azygosporogenesis in Mucor azygosporus

1977 ◽  
Vol 55 (21) ◽  
pp. 2712-2720 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. L. O'Donnell ◽  
J. J. Ellis ◽  
C. W. Hesseltine ◽  
G. R. Hooper

Light microscopic and scanning and transmission electron microscopic observations were obtained on azygosporogenesis in Mucor azygosporus Benjamin. Terminal gametangia are delimited by centripetally growing septa but plasmodesmata maintain cytoplasmic continuity between the azygophores and gametangia. Warts develop as regularly spaced patches of electron-opaque wall material on, and ultimately within, the inner primary wall. The mature complex azygosporangium wall is composed of (1) remnants of the membranous outer primary wall, (2) the ornamented layer of electron-opaque, stellate, confluent warts, and (3) a fibrillar, electron-opaque, tertiary layer. A homogeneous, hyaline azygospore wall (quaternary layer or endospore) with stellate warts is laid down within the azygosporangium. A comparison of the fine structural aspects of zygosporogenesis and azygosporogenesis in the Mucorales is presented.

1987 ◽  
Vol 33 (10) ◽  
pp. 943-948 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoffrey F. Daniel ◽  
T. Nilsson ◽  
A. P. Singh

Transmission electron microscopic observations on a wide range of decaying wood samples obtained from both field situations and laboratory exposure tests have confirmed bacteria to have a capacity to degrade intact highly lignified substrates including preservative-treated and naturally durable woody tissues. Studies have shown a number of bacterial forms to be involved and have provided morphological evidence for in situ lignin degradation confirming 14C-labelled experiments with synthetic and natural lignins. A unique type of bacterial attack (tunnelling) characterized by the development of tunnels containing peculiar cross-tunnel wall secretions has been recognized. Cytochemical studies have shown the extracellular tunnel secretions to contain negatively charged constituents, while transmission electron microscopic energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy has shown these tunnels to bind heavy metals during decay of timbers treated with metal-containing preservatives. The tunnelling bacteria are motile nonflagellated Gram-negative rods. These bacteria have highly plastic cell envelopes which can produce vesicles. Our studies provide evidence that tunnelling bacteria can remove total cell wall material, including lignin, and show a relationship between their motility and the unique tunnels they produce.


Author(s):  
Veronika Burmeister ◽  
R. Swaminathan

Porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) is a disorder of porphyrin metabolism which occurs most often during middle age. The disease is characterized by excessive production of uroporphyrin which causes photosensitivity and skin eruptions on hands and arms, due to minor trauma and exposure to sunlight. The pathology of the blister is well known, being subepidermal with epidermodermal separation, it is not always absolutely clear, whether the basal lamina is attached to the epidermis or the dermis. The purpose of our investigation was to study the attachment of the basement membrane in the blister by comparing scanning with transmission electron microscopy.


Author(s):  
J. W. Horn ◽  
B. J. Dovey-Hartman ◽  
V. P. Meador

Osmium tetroxide (OsO4) is a universally used secondary fixative for routine transmission electron microscopic evaluation of biological specimens. Use of OsO4 results in good ultrastructural preservation and electron density but several factors, such as concentration, length of exposure, and temperature, impact overall results. Potassium ferricyanide, an additive used primarily in combination with OsO4, has mainly been used to enhance the contrast of lipids, glycogen, cell membranes, and membranous organelles. The purpose of this project was to compare the secondary fixative solutions, OsO4 vs. OsO4 with potassium ferricyanide, and secondary fixative temperature for determining which combination gives optimal ultrastructural fixation and enhanced organelle staining/contrast.Fresh rat liver samples were diced to ∼1 mm3 blocks, placed into porous processing capsules/baskets, preserved in buffered 2% formaldehyde/2.5% glutaraldehyde solution, and rinsed with 0.12 M cacodylate buffer (pH 7.2). Tissue processing capsules were separated (3 capsules/secondary fixative.solution) and secondarily fixed (table) for 90 minutes. Tissues were buffer rinsed, dehydrated with ascending concentrations of ethanol solutions, infiltrated, and embedded in epoxy resin.


Author(s):  
M.G. Hamilton ◽  
T.T. Herskovits ◽  
J.S. Wall

The hemocyanins of molluscs are aggregates of a cylindrical decameric subparticle that assembles into di-, tri-, tetra-, penta-, and larger multi-decameric particles with masses that are multiples of the 4.4 Md decamer. Electron micrographs of these hemocyanins typically show the particles with two profiles: circular representing the cylinder viewed from the end and rectangular representing the side-view of the hollow cylinder.The model proposed by Mellema and Klug from image analysis of a didecameric hemocyanin with the two decamers facing one another with collar (closed) ends outward fits the appearance of side-views of the negatively-stained cylinders. These authors also suggested that there might be caps at the ends. In one of a series of transmission electron microscopic studies of molluscan hemocyanins, Siezen and Van Bruggen supported the Mellema-Klug model, but stated that they had never observed a cap component. With STEM we have tested the end cap hypothesis by direct mass measurements across the end-views of unstained particles.


Author(s):  
J. E. O’Neal ◽  
K. K. Sankaran ◽  
S. M. L. Sastry

Rapid solidification of a molten, multicomponent alloy against a metallic substrate promotes greater microstructural homogeneity and greater solid solubility of alloying elements than can be achieved by slower-cooling casting methods. The supersaturated solid solutions produced by rapid solidification can be subsequently annealed to precipitate, by controlled phase decomposition, uniform 10-100 nm precipitates or dispersoids. TEM studies were made of the precipitation of metastable Al3Li(δ’) and equilibrium AL3H phases and the deformation characteristics of a rapidly solidified Al-3Li-0.2Ti alloy.


1989 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 795-801 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. J. Jou ◽  
J. Washburn

A nucleation-and-growth mechanism for the twin formation in YBa2Cu3O7–δ superconductors based on the oxygen uptake rate curve and published transmission electron microscopic observations is proposed together with an oxygen-depleted twin boundary model. The difficulty of reaching stoichiometric YBa2Cu3O7 is explained.


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