s - Mycological Society of America

(hemicellulase), and Novozym 234 (glucanase,
xylanase, lamarinase and chitinase) for 8 hr at
30 C. Meicelase and Rhozyme were added at 10 mg/ml.
Novozym was added at 0.0'2 mg/1000 cysts. Cysts
lysed when incubated at higher concentrations of
Novozym 234. Cysts germinated. many bipolarly,
following treatment with the enzymes when sorbitol
concentrations were less than 0.5 M. The addition
of magnesium sulfate (0.1 M) to the-incubation
medium produced highly stable spheroplasts even
at high levels of Novozym 234 (2.0 mg/1000 cysts).
Spliuroplast size increased as the concentratioz
of magnesium sulfate was increased (0.01 M-0.5 M).
Protoplasts were liberated from spheroplasts when
the osmotic potential of the sorbitol incubation
medium was reduced from 0.6 M to 0.4 M. Proto-
plasts lysed within 10 min of emergence.
5 S. WFINBAUM. M.F. ALLEN, C.F. FRIESE and E.B. ALLEN. Dept
of Biology, Systems Embgy Research Group, San Diego State
University, San Diego CA 921 82-0057.
Observations of the interface between VAM fungi and rnycotrophic
versus nonmycotrophic plants.
We previously reported that invasion by VAM tungi of the
nonmycotrophic plant Salsola resulted in autofluorescing and
a rapid browning of the root tissue which was not observed in the
rnycotrophic grass -. This could result in
the death of the nonmycotrophic seedlings. We extended these
observations to other nonmycotrophic and mycotrophic plants.
Four different responses to the fungi were observed. In annual
Chenopodiaceae. and -, autofluorescence and
rapid (within a day) browning was observed. W d i u m album
and w n alomeratus showed browning with faint
autofluorescence.
, B. and .mh&Qsh
thaliana had no reaction and no root penetration by the VAM tungi.
The grasses showed no browning or autofluorescence but tormed
normal VAM. The shrub
.. . had normal VAM but
as the tissue aged, it began to autofluoresce and turn brown. No
subsequent infection of these mot segments was observed. We
suaoested that these 4 types of responses relate to the ability of
thehost to reject or form a VA rnycorrhizal association.
M. C. WILLIAMS and R.D. GRIGG. Department of Biology.
Kearney State College, Kearney, NE 68849
A preliminary report on host specificity of selected
Smittium z. (Trichomycetes) isolates.
Species of the Trichomycete genus Smittium Poisson
have been isolated from dipteran larvae including
Chironomidae, Culicidae, Simuliidae and Tipulidae.
Limited studies have shown that some Smittium spp.
isolates are able to infest a "foreign" mosquito
(Culicidae) host. For this study selected Smittium
isolates. which were not available at the time of
the earlier study, were grown in shake culture and
the trichospores separated by filtering. The spores
were fed to mosquito and blackfly (Simuliidae) larvae
which were later dissected and examined for the
presence of the Smittium isolate. The results
support the hypothesis that some Smittium species
tend to have a restrictecl host range while others
may infest differen: :nsect host families.
Wolfe, C. B., Jr. Biology Department, Penn State
University, Mont Alto, PA 17237. The Penn State
University Mycological Herbarium (PACMA).
The Mycological Herbarium of Penn State ' 'v was
recently moved from the University Part . to the
Mont Alto Campus, and a new curator v .~ted. The
herbarium has a lengthy and ,. It houses
approximately 67,500 specimens thr ,resentative of
, mostly from the
~lections are from
other locations around the
.andle (Ustilaginales), and
reputation was established
. a prolific collector, and the
,adth of his interests. Included
, are approximately 150 type
specimens (b. J-, iso-, syn-, and paratypes). Several
exsiccati a- med by the herbarium including 4900
specimev ~vlycotheca Marchica issued by P. Sydow
many b. are types. The herbarium has historically
been undc .tilized due, perhaps, to a lack of awareness of
the diversity of its collections and also a fairly restrictive
loan policy. With the move of the herbarium and
appointment of a new curator, a more reasonable loan
policy is now in effect, and researchers are encouraged to
request loans of materials that the herbarium might hold.
C. G. Wu and J. W. Kimbrough, Plant Pathology Dept.,
Cniversity of Florida, Gainesville, FL., 32611.
Comparative Ultrastructure of Spore Ontogeny in the
Humariaceae (Pezizales).
Very little research has been done on the ultrastruc-
ture of spore ontogeny in members of the Humariaceae
(=Pyronemataceae, Otideaceae, or Aleuriaceae by some),.
The purpose of this poster is to describe the fine
structure of spore ontogeny in Aleuria, Cheilvmenia,
Otidea, Tarzetta, and Trichophae;.
--
In all genera except Tarzetta, an electron-translu-
cent primary wall layer is deposited between the two
spore delimiting membranes. k narrow, electron-opaque
band, the epispore, is deposited onto the primary
wall. In Aleuria and Cheilymenia this coincides with
an expansion of outer delimiting membranes to form a
perisporic sac. The perisporic sac develops later in
--
Otidea, Tarzetta, and Trichophaea. A slightly opaque,
granular matrix develops within the perisporic sac
and later condenses into granular particles which
overlays the epispore to form the secondary wall.
Secondary walls of the species studied differ in fibrillar
structure and staining properties.
Spore ontogeny in Tarzetta was peculiar in that the
initial wall is a narrow, slightly opaque band onto
which fragments of the epispore are deposited. These
fragments coalesce into a solid dark band. An additional
electron-transparent primary wall forms between
the dark band and the sporoplasm. In Cheilymenia
a transparent band also forms between the epispore
and secondary wall, and later the secondary wall may
become detached from the epispore to form a spore
sheath.