The fine structure of developing microsclerotia of Verticillium dahliae Kleb.

Summary Electron micrographs of the early stages in microsclerotial development in v. dahliae Kleb. showed that hyphae became swollen and vacuolate and extruded melanizing particles into the interhyphal spaces of the microsclerotium. Peripheral microsclerotial cells were killed either by a process of autoparasitisation from adjacent hyphae or by autolysis. Variations in the thickness of the melanized material surrounding cells gave the superficial appearance of variations in cell wall thickness between individual cells though actual changes in cell wall thickness were not observed.