Spore germination in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mortierella alpina</Emphasis> is associated with a transient depletion of arachidonic acid and induction of fatty acid desaturase gene expression

Mortierella alpina is an oleaginous filamentous fungus whose vegetative mycelium is known to accumulate triglyceride oil containing large amounts of arachidonic acid (ARA 20:4, n − 6). We report that the spores of Mortierella alpina also contain a large proportion of ARA, comprising 50% of total fatty acid. Fatty acid desaturase genes were not expressed in dormant spores but were induced during germination, following a significant drop in the level of ARA (down from 50% of total fatty acid to 12%) prior to germ-tube emergence. We propose that ARA serves as a reserve supply of carbon and energy that is utilised during the early stages of spore germination in Mortierella alpina.     

Permeability of gentamicin into the inside of Bacillus subtilis spores

Abstract The penetration of gentamicin into the inside of Bacillus subtilis spores was examined by an immunoelectron microscopy method with colloidal gold-immunoglobulin G complex. The colloidal gold particles were located mainly in the coat regions of spores and were not observed in the cortex or core regions. This result suggests the existence of an outer membrane inside the coat region as the primary permeability barrier to gentamicin.     

Changes in the organisation of surface rodlets during germination ofSyncephalastrum racemosum sporangiospores

Summary Dormant sporangiospores ofSyncephalastrum racemosum have a regular pattern of rodlets on their surface. During the spherical growth phase of spore germination these rodlets become displaced and areas free from rodlets appear. At the time of germ tube emergence the rodlets remain on the spherical portion of the spore whilst the germ tube has a smooth surface.     

Soil burrowing Muscina angustifrons (Diptera: Muscidae) larvae excrete spores capable of forming mycorrhizae underground

Muscina angustifrons (Diptera: Muscidae) is a mycophagous species that exploits a variety of fungi, including ectomycorrhizal fungi. Larvae of this species have been shown to feed on sporocarps (including spores), and full-grown larvae leave sporocarps and pupate 0–6?cm below the soil surface. In this study, we examined whether M. angustifrons larvae are capable of transporting ectomycorrhizal fungal spores and enhancing ectomycorrhiza growth on host-plant roots. Full-grown larvae were found to move horizontally 10–20?cm from their feeding sites and burrow underground. These wandering larvae retained ectomycorrhizal fungal spores in their intestines, which were excreted following relocation to underground pupation sites. Excreted spores retained germination and infection capacities to form ectomycorrhiza on host-plant roots. In the infection experiments, ectomycorrhizal fungal spores applied in the vicinity of underground host-plant roots were more effective in forming ectomycorrhiza than those applied to the ground surface, suggesting that belowground transportation of spores by M. angustifrons larvae could enhance ectomycorrhizal formation. These results suggested that M. angustifrons larvae act as a short-distance spore transporter of ectomycorrhizal fungi.     

Effect of depletion of FtsY on spore morphology and the protein composition of the spore coat layer in Bacillus subtilis

Bacillus subtilis FtsY is a homolog of the alpha-subunit of mammalian signal recognition particle (SRP) receptor, and is essential for protein translocation and vegetative cell growth. An FtsY conditional null mutant (strain ISR39) can express ftsY during the vegetative stage but not during spore formation. Spores of ISR39 have the same resistance to heat and chloroform as the wild-type, while their resistance to lysozyme is reduced. Electron microscopy showed that the outer coat of spores was incompletely assembled. The coat protein profile of the ftsY mutant spores was different from that of wild-type spores. The amounts of CotA, and CotE were reduced in spore coat proteins of ftsY mutant spores and the molecular mass of CotB was reduced. In addition, CotA, CotB, and CotE are present in normal form at T(8) of sporulation in ftsY mutant cells. These results suggest that FtsY has a pivotal role in assembling coat proteins onto the coat layer during spore morphogenesis.     

广西产5种卷柏科植物的孢子形态

利用光学显微镜和扫描电子显微镜首次观察了广西产5种卷柏科(Selaginellaceae)植物:纤毛卷柏S.albociliataP.S.Wang、秦氏卷柏S.chingiiiAlston、长芒卷柏S.commutataAlderw、似大叶卷柏SdecipiensWarb、S.pronifoliaBaker的大、小孢子形态。研究结果显示:5种卷柏科植物的外部形态结构复杂,并存在着较大的种间差异。为孢粉学和卷柏科的分类工作提供了有价值的基础资料。     

中国角苔纲植物孢子和假弹丝形态的研究

首次报道中国角苔类植物的2科、5属和7种的孢子和假弹丝的形态。附分科和分属的检索表。从形态上观察,短角苔科植物为原始的类型。     

Scanning electron microscope images of basidiospores of Xerula (Physalacriaceae, Agaricales)

Structure and ornamentation of basidiospore walls in Xerula (inclusive of Dactylosporina) are illustrated using scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. Oudemansiella spores are not depicted, but all sections of Xerula are represented by 17 taxa. Spore wall sculpturing cannot be used as an infrageneric diagnostic character, nor to separate Oudemansiella and Rhizomarasmius from Xerula. Xerula caulovillosa is proposed as a new species, and Xerula radicata f. marginata as a new combination.     

7种丛藓科植物孢子形态的研究

对山西７种丛藓科植物的孢子形态进行了扫描电镜观察研究。     

A Study on the Spore Morphology of Bryum Hedw. in China

Spore morphology of thirteen species of the genus Bryum Hedw. were observed by LM and SEM. The results show that the ornamentation of spore exine could be divided into three types: Type I , blunt at the top of baculate processes, to which four species belong: Bryum argenteum, B. lonchocaulon , B. uliginosum and B. arcticum. Type Ⅱ, sharp or with small processes at the top of baculate processes, represented by seven species: B. pallescens, B. caespiticium, B. pallens, B. pseudotriquetrum, B. paradoxum, B. alpinum and B. thomsoii. Type Ⅲ, expanded into hemispherical-shaped at the top of baculate processes, represented by two species: B.coronatum and B.sauteri. The Bryum species may also be divided into three groups according to the variation of spore diameter. Group I , with spore diameter under 10 μm, including one species, B. uliginosum. Group Ⅱ, with spore diameter 11～20 μm, including seven species: B. argenteum, B. alpinum, B. coronatum, B. pallens, B.paradoxum, B.sauteri, B.thomsonii. Group Ⅲ, spore diameter 21～30 μm, with five species: B. pallescens, B. caespiticium, B. pseudotriquetrum, B. lonchocaulon, B. arcticum. There are resemblances of spore morphology and exine ornamentation among the thirteen species. In the view of palynology, the genus Bryum is a natural taxon which is more advanced than the genus Pohlia Hedw. But spores of thirteen species are different at some characters such as diameter, shape ofproximal leptoma, etc., which indicates the genetic differentiation in the genus Bryum.     

七种中国珠藓科植物孢子形态研究

作者通过光学显微镜和扫描电镜观察了7种珠藓科植物的孢子。观察结果显示：孢子近极薄壁区的有无、形状及外壁纹饰的细微结构等方面,在属间和种间存在一定的差异。与此同时,这7种珠藓科植物的孢子在大小、外壁厚度等方面表现出较大的相似性。本研究也显示孢粉学资料可以为研究珠藓科系统演化提供可靠的依据。     

Author index volume 65

Spores of Bacillus subtilis 168 were apparently fully inactivated by exposure to 2% (w/v) glutaraldehyde for 20 h but a few spores could be revived by further treatment with 10-100 mM NaOH. A similar effect was found with spores from a range of Bacillus species. A minimum concentration of 5% (w/v) glutaraldehyde was required to prevent the alkali-induced reactivation. The implications of these results for the use of glutaraldehyde as a sporicidal agent are discussed.     

中国真藓属孢子形态的研究

通过光学显微镜和扫描电子显微镜观察了中国真藓属Bryum Hedw．13种孢子的形态特征。根 据外壁纹饰可分为:类型I,棒状突起顶端圆钝;类型Ⅱ,棒状突起顶端尖或具微突起;类型Ⅲ,棒状突 起顶端膨大成半球形。根据孢子直径的大小,可分3个类群。以上显示了物种间的遗传分化及其相似 性,证明真藓属确为一个自然分类群,真藓属孢子的形态比丝瓜藓属Pohlia Hedw．进化。这给苔藓的孢子形态研究及分类和系统演化的研究提供了新的资料。     

A habitat colonisation model for spore-dispersed organisms—Does it work with eumycetozoans?

Spore productivities and establishment probabilities of eumycetozoans were estimated and compared with quantitative data obtained from field surveys, using series of cultures of a given substrate. Spore numbers per spore case were found to increase from one to four in protostelids to up to 10⁵–10⁶ in myxomycetes, whereas average spore size decreased slightly from 14.8 μm for protostelids to 10.3 μm in myxomycetes. Spore numbers of fructifications calculated from dimensions of spores and fruit bodies were in good agreement with direct counts carried out for six species of myxomycetes. A colonisation model is presented that estimates frequencies (as a percent of successfully colonized habitat islands), which is independent of a given density of spore rain and the sexual system of the species being considered. Whereas asexual species need a minimum spore rain of ca 0.7 spores per habitat island to reach a frequency of 50 %, this figure is at least 2.4-fold higher for sexual species, depending from the incompatibility system assumed. Data from cultures indicate that the maximum potential spore rain is usually three orders of magnitude higher than the minimum figure required to create the observed frequencies. Eumycetozoans seem to follow the evolutionary trends predicted by the model. Species with sexual reproductive systems produce often more spores than asexual ones; many morphospecies have sexual and asexual strains; and back-conversion from sexual to asexual reproduction occurs occasionally.     

Influence of different soil types on abundance and seasonal dynamics of vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in arable soils of North Germany

Summary The present investigation examines whether characteristic mycorrhiza occur in intensively used agricultural soils of different types. For this purpose, three arable soils in the north of Germany were chosen and the formation of mycorrhiza, spore density and the frequency of spore types within populations were investigated over two cultivation periods (1986/1987 and 1987/1988). Soil type influenced spore density as well as the percentage of mycorrhizal colonization of roots during each cultivation period, whereby high spore density was not necessarily connected with intensive mycorrhizal development. Although the level of mycorrhizal colonization increased most rapidly in silty sand, the highest level of infection was observed in barley roots in clayey soil. At harvest, infection levels differed in the soils investigated, but spore density was equal at all three sites. Each soil type displayed a characteristic distribution of spore types within a population; this distribution remained unchanged over the two cultivation periods.     

鳞毛蕨科的孢子形态研究

对鳞毛蕨科及其相近类群的19属65种的孢子形态进行了光学显微镜观察,并对其中12属30种进行了扫描电镜观察。鳞毛蕨科的孢子左右对称,极面观为椭圆形、近球形,赤道观为肾形,极轴/赤道轴的比值为0.60～0.86;单缝孢,裂缝长度约为孢子全长的1/2～3/4,属中至大型孢子。鳞毛蕨科具有多样性的外壁纹饰:不仅包括刺状、瘤状、颗粒状、脊状、窗孔状、耳状、片状及翅状等几种基本类型,而且还存在一些中间过渡类型。根据孢子形态特征,对本科的属间关系进行了探讨。孢子形态特征的相似性支持假复叶耳蕨属、肉刺蕨属、球盖蕨科与鳞毛蕨属的近缘关系,黔蕨属与复叶耳蕨属间的近缘关系。玉龙蕨属的两个种的孢子纹饰与耳蕨属的部分种一致,支持将玉龙蕨属作为耳蕨属的异名处理。拟贯众属独特的翅状纹饰支持将其从鳞毛蕨科中分离出去。     

中国蕨类植物孢子的形态Ⅶ.桫椤科

对中国桫椤科(Cyatheaceae)11种植物的孢子形态进行了扫描电镜的研究。桫椤科孢子辐射对称,三裂缝,裂缝长度达孢子半径的3/4左右,极面观三角形,赤道面观为半圆形或扇形,孢子极轴长为27~42μm,赤道轴长为32~52μm。孢子表面纹饰是由周壁形成的,可分为4种类型,即条纹状、疣状、刺条状、短刺状。根据孢子的形态特征,对中国桫椤科孢子类型进行了划分,对属的划分问题进行了探讨。     

Growth sites of polypores from quantitative expert evaluation: Late-stage decayers and saprotrophs fruit closer to ground

Life history traits are key to why species occur when and where they do and how their populations will respond to environmental changes. However, dispersal-related traits of fungi are generally poorly known. We studied how spore release height from the ground, an important determinant of airborne dispersal, is connected to other traits in polypores. We collected expert evaluations of fruit body growth sites for 140 species and found that experts generally provided consistent estimates of height above the ground. Height was correlated with other traits: species fruiting on living trees, earlier decay stages and deciduous hosts tend to fruit higher above the ground. While our data do not allow mechanistic explanations, our study demonstrates the potential of expert knowledge and identifies fruit body height above the ground as one consistent trait relevant to species’ life history strategies. We recommend a more comprehensive expert survey as one cost-efficient way towards a more trait-based fungal ecology.     

Development of a rapid and sensitive immunoassay for detection and subsequent recovery of Bacillus anthracis spores in environmental samples

Bacillus anthracis is considered a major threat as an agent of bioterrorism. B. anthracis spores are readily dispersed as aerosols, are very persistent, and are resistant to normal disinfection treatments. Immunoassays have been developed to rapidly detect B. anthracis spores at high concentrations. However, detection of B. anthracis spores at lower concentrations is problematic due to the fact that closely related Bacillus species (e.g., B. thuringiensis) can cross-react with anti-B. anthracis antibodies, resulting in false positive detections. Subsequent polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis is required to differentiate virulent strains. We report here on a protocol for the rapid, sensitive detection of B. anthracis spore using the Integrating Waveguide Biosensor followed by a method for the rapid release and germination of immunocaptured spores. A detection limit of ca. 10³ spores was achieved by incubating spores simultaneously with capture and detection antibodies (“liquid-phase” assay) prior to capture on capillary tubes/waveguides. Subsequent incubation with BHI broth directly in capillary tubes allowed for rapid germination, outgrowth, and release of spores, resulting in vegetative cells for PCR analysis.