Light and electron microscopic observations of conidiogenesis in Peziza quelepidotia

Abstract

Conidium ontogeny of the botryose solitary blastospores of Peziza quelepidotia Korf and O'Donnell was followed by time-lapse photomicrography using differential interference-contrast illumination in an inexpensive, commercially available, slide culture chamber. This chamber has several advantages over those previously described. Subsequent to time-lapse photomicrography, techniques are described for viewing these identical conidiophores in all stages of development in the scanning electron microscope. Transmission electron microscopic observations were conducted to fully characterize conidiogenesis and to unequivocally determine its location in hyphomycete classification schemes. This imperfect state, which belongs to Hughes' conidiogenetic section 1B, bears determinate retrogressive conidiogenous cells and single holoblastic conidia with multiple synchronous conidiogenous loci. However, unlike other members of the Botryoblastosporae, the conidia are not borne on well differentiated swollen conidiogenous cells (i.e., ampullae). Ultrastructural observations were made on the spatial relationship between the conidial state and ascogonia and on germinating conidia.