Ultrastructural Studies of the Free Zoospore of the Rumen Phycomycete Neocallimastix frontalis

Abstract

The structure of the free zoospores of N. frontalis was examined by EM of thin-sectioned and negatively stained preparations. There are up to 15 flagella arranged in 2 rows. The free end of each flagellum is narrow and its tip does not contain microtubules. The flagella and the cell body are coated with distinct surface layers composed of regular arrays of particles and fibrils, respectively. The cell body contains a variety of inclusions. Near to the flagellar pole there are numerous membrane-bound electron-dense globules about 0.2-0.7 .mu.m in diameter, between which are microtubules, particles and small vesicles. In the region of the centrally placed nucleus are arrays of helices of ribosome-like particles. These particles also occur in the form of globular aggregates, each partially enclosed within a membrane. The remainder of the cytoplasm is filled with material resembling glycogen. The zoospores stain positively for glycogen and contain RNase-sensitive particulate material which is stained by toluidine blue. Scanning electron microscopy shows that the zoospores attach to the substrate by the flagellar pole.