Fine Structure and Electron Cytochemical Studies of Sclerotium Rolfsii Sacc

Abstract

A characteristic feature of the hyphal cells of S. rolfsii is an electron-dense sheath surrounding the cell wall. The cell sheath could act as a barrier to diffusion of gases. The septal pore apparatus in S. rolfsii conforms to the general pattern of dolipore septum in other basidiomycetes, and appears to be well adapted to proto-plasmic streaming and subsequent plugging of the septal pore. A prominent feature of S. rolfsii is the presence of concentric and parallel lamellar structures in the hyphal cells. We believe that lomasomes originate through a process of budding of the concentric lamellae into tubular vesicles. Though these lamellar structures resemble bacterial mesosomes, these two organelles do not appear to be homologous structures. Through cytochemical tests we have been able to show that oxidative-reductive events are not located in these lamellae but are integrated in the mitochondria of this fungus. The presence of reduced tellurite in the endoplasm probably indicates that oxidative-reductive events are distributed in the cell.