Ultrastructural and cytochemical changes in the basidiomycete dolipore septum associated with fruiting

Abstract

An ultrastructural study of dolipore septa in Psilocybe mexicana. Volvariella bombycina, Amanita muscaria, Favolus alveolaris, Lycoperdon perlatum, Hericium coralloides, and Dacrymyces stillatus indicated the presence of solid pore occlusions in vegetative mycelium while the occlusions were perforate or absent in the hymenium. Dolipore septa in basidiocarp initials, stipes, and lamellae of P. mexicana lacked occlusions or had perforate pore occlusions. Septa in vegetative mycelium of D. stillatus had parenthesomes with no pores while the septa in the hymenium had parenthesomes with a single pore. Pore occlusions in septa of vegetative hyphae of P. mexicana were digested with trypsin and chymotrypsin. Periodic acid, thiosemicarbazide, and silver proteinate stain for polysaccharides produced no staining of the pore occlusion. Nucleic acid extraction with perchloric acid also had no effect on the pore occlusion. Microfilaments in the pore canal appeared to be attached at regions of electron-dense material within the canal and at the pore occlusion. Serial sections demonstrated that electron-dense regions within the pore canal were rings which did not completely block the canal.