M. Saikawa et al., ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY OF 2 NEMATODE-DESTROYING FUNGI, MERISTACRUM-ASTEROSPERMUM AND ZYGNEMOMYCES-ECHINULATUS (MERISTACRACEAE, ENTOMOPHTHORALES), Canadian journal of botany, 75(5), 1997, pp. 762-768
Infection of nematodes by Meristacrum asterospermum and Zygnemomyces e
chinulatus was initiated by conidia adhering to the nematode's cuticle
. Each conidium developed an infection peg to penetrate the nematode a
fter adhesion. In M. asterospermum, an infection peg just under the pe
netration was found in ultrathin sections, in which the peg's cell wal
l was broken into several lobes that were covered entirely with an amo
rphous mass of electron-opaque substance. Septa formed in the apical p
ortion of aerial conidiophore under conidiation. The septal wall was n
onperforate and often contained electron-opaque inclusions. Vegetative
hyphae of Z. echinulatus had typical bifurcate septa, but septa at bo
th ends of the pedicel of conidia were often slightly deformed.