Microstructure characterization of different types of chlamydospores in
Duddingtonia flagrans
Abstract
The morphological and structural differences of different types of
chlamydospore of Duddingtonia flagrans, a nematophagous fungus, were
studied under light microscope and electron microscope to provide
reference for the biological control of parasitic nematodiasis. In this
study, D. flagrans isolate F088 dormant chlamydospore and non-dormant
chlamydospore were selected as the research objects. The structural
differences of these spores were observed by optical microscopy through
lactol cotton blue, Trypan blue and MTT staining. FUN-1, DAPI and CFW
staining were used to observe the metabolic activity, cell wall and
nucleus differences of the two types of spores under fluorescence
microscope. Ultrastructure of the two kinds of spores was observed using
scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope
(TEM). Since lacto phenol cotton blue, trypan blue staining cannot
distinguish dormant spores from dead spores, MTT assay was performed.
Fluorescence microscopy observation showed that the cytoplasmic
metabolic activity of non-dormant spores was stronger than that of
dormant spores. The nucleus of dormant spores was bright blue, and their
fluorescence was stronger than that of non-dormant spores. The cell wall
of non-dormant spores produced stronger yellow-green fluorescence than
that of dormant spores. Ultrastructural observation showed that there
were globular protuberances on the surface of the two types of spores,
but with no significant difference between them. The inner wall of
dormant spore possesses a thick zona pellucida with high electron
density which was significantly thicker than that of non-dormant spores,
and their cytoplasm is also changed. In this study, the microstructure
characteristics of dormant and non-dormant chlamydospores of D. flagrans
fungi were preliminarily clarified, suggesting that the state of cell
wall and intracellular materials were changed after spores entered to
dormancy.