Light and electron microscopy of the spermogonial stage of Gymnoconia peckiana, one of the causes of orange rust of Rubus

Abstract

Hyphae of Gymnoconia peckiana (Howe in Peck) Trotter spread from infected Rubus argutus Link. stems into leaf primordia where they proliferated in an intercellular fashion as leaves differentiated. Hyphae were septate, and each compartment appeared to contain a single nucleus. Hyphae gave rise to numerous haustoria that resembled the monokaryotic haustoria of other rust fungi. Hyphae located immediately adjacent to the upper and lower leaf epidermis gave rise to spermogonial initials. Each initial consisted of a small group of tightly packed hyphae that developed in an intercellular space adjacent to the epidermis. As an initial enlarged, the proliferating hyphae pushed their way between, as well as into, epidermal cells. Invaded epidermal cells soon died. A layer of spermatiophores then developed within each young spermogonium and appeared to push the epidermal cell wall material and leaf cuticle covering the spermogonium out from the leaf surface. Once mature, spermatiophores gave rise to a succession of uninucleate spermatia that emerged from the tip of each spermatiophore. Spermatia initially accumulated beneath the layer of epidermal cell wall material and cuticle that covered the developing spermogonium and appeared to push this layer further out from the leaf surface until it ruptured. A few receptive hyphae were observed in mature spermogonia.