Cytology and ultrastructure of Thanatephorus cucumeris and related taxa of the Rhizoctonia complex

Abstract

Cytological studies on the vegetative hyphae of members of the Rhizoctonia complex and basidial structures of Thanatephorus cucumeris were performed with light and electron microscopy. Vegetative cells of Thanatephorus and Waitea proved to be multinucleate, whereas those of Uthatobasidium, Ceratobasidium, Athelia. and Botryobasidium are binucleate.Dolipore septa of Thanatephorus, Waitea, Uthatobasidium, and Ceratobasidium are visible with the light microscope when stained with aniline blue in glycerine. Ultrastructurally, pore caps in these genera consisted of two-layered unit membranes, forming cisternae with an electron-dense middle layer. Dolipore septa of Athelia (S. rolfsii) and Botryobasidium are not visible in aniline blue at the light microscope level. At the ultrastructural level, there was an additional cisternal membrane making up a pore cap of three membranes. The fine structure of nuclei, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticula, vacuoles, and other organelles in the basidial structures of T. cucumeris was essentially the same as in other basidiomycetes.Karyogamy of two haploid nuclei occurs in the young basidia of T. cucumeris. The nuclear envelopes of both haploid nuclei break at their adjacent sides and fuse to form a diploid nucleus. After a short interphase, meiosis occurs. No leptotene was observed at prophase I, but a synaptinemal complex was evident and six pairs of chromosomes were observed throughout pachytene, diplotene, and diakinesis. The nuclear envelope disappears at metaphase I and a spindle appears. The second meiotic division is equational. Most of the mature and discharged spores are uninucleate.