Ultrastructural studies on the cell walls in Fusarium sulphureum

Abstract

The cell walls of Fusarium sulphureum have a microfibrillar component that is randomly arranged. X-ray-diffraction diagrams of the microfibrils are consistent with a high degree of crystallinity and show that they are chitin. The chitin microfibrils of the peripheral walls envelop the hyphal apex and extend across the septae. During the first 8 h in culture, the conversion of conidial cells to chlamydospores is evidenced by a swelling of the cells and the original microfibrils remain randomly arranged. Within 24 h new wall material is deposited as the cells expand and the wall thickens. The new microfibrils are indistinguishable from those of the original conidial cells.After 3 days in culture, the chlamydospores are fully developed and have the characteristic thick wall which is a continuous layer of randomly arranged microfibrils. Chlamydospores maintained in a conversion medium for 8 days have microfibrils identical with those in 3-day-old cultures; thus a further change in the microfibril orientation did not occur during that period.Alkaline hydrolysis of the walls removes most of the electron-dense staining constituents from the inner wall layer and leaves the outer wall layer intact. This treatment also reveals some of the wall microfibrils. An additional treatment of the walls with HAc/H₂O₂ completely removes the wall components that react positively to heavy metal stains. The results are discussed in relation to the structure of other fungal cell walls.