Ultrastructure of the zoospore of Blastocladia ramosa (Blastocladiales)

1983 ◽  
Vol 61 (12) ◽  
pp. 3502-3513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilma L. Lingle ◽  
William E. Barstow

Species of Blastocladia, unlike other members of the order Blastocladiales, have an obligately fermentative metabolism. The ultrastructure of the zoospores of Blastocladia ramosa is described and compared with that of zoospores of aerobic members of the Blastocladiales. Zoospores of Blastocladia ramosa are structurally similar to other blastocladialean zoospores in that they have (i) a nuclear cap composed of aggregated ribosomes delimited by an envelope of endoplasmic reticulum; (ii) a posteriorly located nucleus; (iii) nine sets of microtubules that surround the nucleus and nuclear cap; and (iv) a striated rootlet associated with the kinetosome. Zoospores of Blastocladia ramosa differ by having mitochondria with unusual fine structure and by lacking microbodies and microbody – lipid globule complexes. As shown by enzymatic digestion and staining, glycogen appears to be the primary storage material in the zoospore. Structures which resemble water expulsion vacuoles are present. The morphological differences between zoospores of Blastocladia ramosa and other zoospores of the Blastocladiales appear to be related to physiological differences.

2015 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 451-465 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Kwiatkowska

The bodies occurring in the ovary epidermis cells of <i>Ornithogalum umbellatum</i>, rich in lipids have been earlier described as elaioplasts. They consist of agglomerations of osmiophilic granules within the cytoplasm, caught in a network of, and interconnected by, a system of interesecting microtubules. These structures have been named lipotubuloids. They translocate in the cell by way of a progressive-rotary motion. Endoplasmic reticulum membranes, ribosomes and very scarse mitochondria and Golgi structures occur within the lipotubuloids.


1973 ◽  
Vol 184 (1075) ◽  
pp. 199-205 ◽  

The cell bodies of the position sensitive units form a row distal to the movement sensitive cells and their dendrites run in pairs in a narrow neck of tissue on the ventral side of the receptor strand. The scolopidia share the features of elongation and relaxation sensitive movement units. Thus the canal cell is absent, but there is some scolopale material in the enveloping cells. Also the scolopale is apposed by a mixture of strand cells and collagen. The more distal scolopidia are found in a region of large haemocoelic lacunae. The physiological differences between movement and position sensitive units could be explained in terms of how well the dendrites are anchored into the tube; with the position cells possibly being held at different levels with respect to their maximum sensitivity. On the other hand, the dendrites of both types of unit may behave identically and, if so, then the necessary physiological differences could occur in the transduction and/or impulse initiation sites. These alternative explanations are discussed.


Parasitology ◽  
1963 ◽  
Vol 53 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 643-649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emeka G. Olisa

1. Different shapes and forms found in Toxoplasma gondii are associated with reproduction and growth. The functions of the toxoneme and the conoid are discussed.2. A new structure, ‘lamella spiralis', is described in relation to the nucleus and the endoplasmic reticulum.3. T. gondii reproduces either by dividing into two (binary fission) or by multiple division (schizogony), and by a type of endogenous budding. In the latter case small portions pinched off from the nucleus are rounded up to form several small organisms named ‘morulae'.The author gratefully acknowledges the interest and valuable suggestions of Dr G. A. Gresham, M.D., who supervised this work; Dr J. M. Davis and Mr F. Allen, who were kind enough to read the manuscript critically, and Mr W. A. Mowlam for his technical help and advice on fixation techniques.This work was carried out during the tenure of a research scholarship awarded by the United Kingdom Department of Technical Co-operation and the Eastern Nigerian Government.


1969 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 479-493 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. D. DODGE ◽  
R. M. CRAWFORD

The eyespot of the marine dinoflagellate Glenodinium foliaceum is a flattened orange structure, more or less trapezoid in shape with an anterior hook-like projection. It is situated on the ventral side of the organism in the vicinity of the flagellar bases at the anterior end of the sulcus. In the electron microscope the eyespot is seen to contain two layers of osmiophilic granules 80-200 nm in diameter which usually show hexagonal close-packing. The eyespot is surrounded by a triple-membraned envelope and is not connected to any other organelle. Adjacent to the eyespot is a distinctive organelle termed the ‘lamellar body’. This consists of a stack of up to 50 flattened vesicles or disks, each 16 nm thick and about 750 nm wide, the whole being orientated in an antero-posterior direction. The lamellae are continuous, at the ends of the stack, with rough endoplasmic reticulum and are joined together by occasional bridges at their edges. The bases of the two flagella lie just ventral to the lamellar body and from them roots arise which pass by the eyespot and join the subthecal microtubular system. The eyespot of Glenodinium is unique both in structure and the presence of the associated lamellar body. It differs from eyespots which have been described from other algal groups and also from the more complex ocellus found in certain dinoflagellates belonging to the order Warnowiaceae. The method by which the eyespot functions is discussed and it is suggested that unidirectional stimuli could be perceived by shading of the lamellar body.


1964 ◽  
Vol s3-105 (69) ◽  
pp. 7-11
Author(s):  
WILLIAM L. DOYLE ◽  
G. FRANCES McNIELL

The delicate tubules of the respiratory tree consist of 4 layers: a lining epithelium, a thick mucoid layer containing collagenous filaments, a smooth muscle net, and a coelomic epithelium. The free surfaces of both epithelia have well developed plasmodesms. Amoebocytes are present in all layers and the spherules of one type are considered to be precursors of the mucoid substance; another amoebocyte may be a fibroblast. Perpendicularly oriented smooth muscle fibres, as well as those parallel to each other, are linked by desmosomes ensuring synchronous contraction. Secretory activity is evident in distended cisternae of the endoplasmic reticulum of certain epithelial cells and in the vacuoles of the lining epithelium.


1962 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph A. Grasso ◽  
Hewson Swift ◽  
G. Adolph Ackerman

The fine structure of the erythrocyte during development in rabbit and human fetal liver has been studied. A morphologic description of representative erythropoietic cells and their relationship to the hepatic parenchyma is presented. Erythrocyte development was accompanied by a decrease in nuclear and cell size, fragmentation and eventual loss of nucleoli, and progressive clumping of chromatin at the nuclear margin. Mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and Golgi elements decreased in size or abundance and eventually disappeared. Ribosome concentration initially increased, but subsequently diminished as the cytoplasm increased in electron opacity, probably through the accumulation of hemoglobin. Similar dense material, interpreted to be hemoglobin, infiltrated the nuclear annuli and, in some cases, appeared to extend into the interchromatin regions. There was a marked decrease in the number of annuli of the nuclear envelope. Possible relationships between nucleus and cytoplasm and of RNA to hemoglobin synthesis are discussed. In rabbits, erythroid and hepatic cells were separated by a 200 to 400 A space limited by the undulatory membranes of the respective cells. Membranes of adjacent erythropoietic cells were parallel and more closely apposed (100 to 200 A). In humans, relationship between various cells exhibited wide variation. Ferritin particles were observed within forming and formed "rhopheocytotic" vesicles.


1968 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 318-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul R. Burton ◽  
Donald G. Dusanic

The kinetoplastic DNA of Trypanosoma lewisi is described as a filamentous body lying within a mitochondrion, with the filaments oriented parallel to the long axis of the cell. The manner of fixation, the replicative state, and perhaps the physiological state of the cell, may result in slight morphological differences among such bodies. The kinetoplastic DNA replicates to form "left" and "right" rather than "upper" and "lower" members, and both the kinetoplast and nucleus incorporate radiothymidine as shown by radioautography. Radioautographic analyses suggest a random incorporation of radiothymidine by kinetoplasts. Silver grains were occasionally observed over centriolar elements. Finally, the observations are discussed with respect to the sequential replication of the aforementioned organelles by T. lewisi.


1975 ◽  
Vol 53 (6) ◽  
pp. 686-690 ◽  
Author(s):  
John F. Leatherland ◽  
Mohamed Hyder

The effects of exogenous L-thyroxine on the fine structure of the proximal pars distalis cells were examined in Tilapia zillii. In thyroxine-treated animals the thyrotrophic cells appeared marginally smaller and less active whereas the somatotrophs appeared markedly more active, with increased endoplasmic reticulum, larger mitochondria, and more granule release when compared with the same cell types in control animals. The gonadotrophs were similar in appearance in both thyroxine-treated and control groups.The possible interrelated activity of the somatotrophs and the TSH–thyroid axis is discussed.


2005 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 648-653 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Cwalina ◽  
A. Turek ◽  
J. Nozynski ◽  
M. Jastrzebska ◽  
Z. Nawrat

Introduction Structural modification of proteins, mainly collagen in connective tissues, is important in the manufacture of tissue-derived biomaterials. Natural compounds like genipin or tannic acid (TA) have been proposed instead of glutaraldehyde which shows cytotoxic effects on the processed tissue. Furthermore, calcification of glutaraldehyde-treated tissue limits the functional lifetime of bioprostheses. TA is known to form numerous hydrogen bonds with proteins. The purpose of our study was to investigate structural changes in porcine pericardium upon chemical modification with tannic acid. Methods Porcine pericardium tissue (PP) was soaked in 2% TA for 4, 24 or 48 hours. Changes in tissue structure were studied using electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and histological examination. Structural stability of PP tissue was evaluated by SDS/NaCl extraction method and enzymatic digestion with pancreatin. Results TA-modification of PP caused a time-dependent decrease in the number of peptides extracted from tissue. Microscopic studies revealed no significant morphological differences between native and TA-modified tissues, except for the native pancreatin-digested tissue where lack of both cells and low molecular peptides was observed. Conclusion Modification of PP with TA causes the structural changes leading to an increase in the tissue resistance to SDS/NaCl extraction and enzymatic digestion, providing experimental evidence for the higher structural stability of TA-treated tissue.


1979 ◽  
Vol 57 (20) ◽  
pp. 2116-2121 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. G. Ruch ◽  
C. E. Bland

The effects of the fungicide Captan on growth, development, and fine structure of the marine fungus Lagenidium callinectes Couch are studied. At the minimum lethal concentration (LC100) of Captan for L. callinectes (3.2 ppm active component), zoospores exposed for 30 min failed to encyst or germinate. Ultrastructural changes caused by exposure to Captan included "washing-out" of the mitochondrial matrix and disappearance of many of the cristae, clumping of the chromatin and disappearance of the nuclear matrix, and swelling of the cisternae of the endoplasmic reticulum. Longer exposure of zoospores to Captan resulted ultimately in breakdown of the plasma membrane. These observations were in agreement with those of previous studies which indicated that the toxic action of Captan occurs primarily in mitochondria.


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