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Mycological Society of America

Ultrastructure and Cytochemistry of Dormant Basidiospores of Psilocybe cubensis


Author(s): Donald G. Ruch and Jerome J. Motta
Source: Mycologia, Vol. 79, No. 3 (May - Jun., 1987), pp. 387-398
Published by: Mycological Society of America
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3807461
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Mycologia, 79(3), 1987, pp. 387-398.
© 1987, by The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY 10458

ULTRASTRUCTURE AND CYTOCHEMISTRY OF DORMANT


BASIDIOSPORES OF PSILOCYBE CUBENSIS1

DONALD G. RUCH2 AND JEROME J. MOTTA

Department of Botany, University of Maryland,


College Park, Maryland 20742

ABSTRACT

The ultrastructure of dormant basidiospores of Psilocybe cubensis is described. The spore wall is
characterized by three distinct layers and a germ pore. A pore cap is described for the first time in a
species of Psilocybe. The protoplast is surrounded by a well defined plasma membrane with many
distinct invaginations. Internally, large numbers of nonmembrane-bound lipids occur at both ends of
the spore. Two nuclei are typically present and the nuclear envelope has many nuclear pores. Mito-
chondria with only a few, but well delineated, plate-like cristae are present. There is scant endoplasmic
reticulum. Ribosomes occur regularly attached to the ER and outer mitochondrial membrane, as well
as being densely packed throughout the cytoplasm. Variously sized vacuoles were demonstrated cy-
tochemically to contain acid phosphatase. Microbody-like organelles are described but cytochemical
tests to determine if these organelles are functionally similar to those of higher plants were unsuccessful.
Cell-free extracts of basidiospores exhibit catalase and isocitrate lyase activity but no malate synthase
activity.
Key Words: Psilocybe cubensis, ultrastructure, cytochemistry, basidiospore.

Basidiospores of the species of Psilocybe have MATERIALS AND METHODS

been the subject of few ultrastructural studies


The isolate of Psilocybe cubensis was obtained
(Olah, 1973; Stocks and Hess, 1970). Stocks and
from cap tissues of freshly collected basidiocarps
Hess (1970) described the ultrastructure of dor-
and was designated 78-1. The collection was
mant and germinated basidiospores of a species
identified by Dr. David Farr. Stock cultures were
of Psilocybe, later identified as P. mutans
maintained on Potato Dextrose Agar (Difco)
McKnight (McKnight, 1971). These authors uti-
supplemented with 0.1% yeast extract. Basid-
lized the freeze-etching technique primarily, ne-
iocarp production was induced by the method
cessitated by the impenetrability of the spore,
of Oss and Oeric (1976). Discharged basidio-
and only the structure of the wall, germ pore and
spores from fresh fruitbodies were collected in
hilar appendage were described from fixed and sterile 100 x 15 mm Petri dishes in a moist
embedded material. Olah (1973), experiencing chamber.
similar difficulties with penetration, also de-
Nuclei were stained using the mithramycin
scribed only the wall structure of P. quebecensis
technique of Slater (1976) as modified by Heath
Olah & Heim. Owing to this general lack of in-
(1980) and photographs were made using a Leitz
formation concerning the dormant spore in
SM-Lux Vertical Fluorescent Microscope em-
species of Psilocybe and the availability of a tech-
ploying a KP550 excitation filter and a K510/
nique to overcome the problems of tissue prep- 530 combination barrier filter.
aration presented by thickened walls (Olson,
For transmission electron microscopy, basid-
1978), we have examined the ultrastructure of
iospores were fixed in 3% glutaraldehyde in 0.05
Psilocybe cubensis Singer and carried out select-
M cacodylate buffer, pH 7.4. Spores were fixed
ed, correlative cytochemical studies.
for 6 h at 25 C, then washed in three 15 min
changes of buffer. Basidiospore walls were frac-
'This paper represents a portion of a dissertation tured by a modification of Olson's (1978) tech-
submitted to the Graduate School of the University of nique. A suspension of basidiospores was mixed
Maryland by Donald G. Ruch in partial fulfillment of with glass beads, 0.45-0.50 mm diam, in a ratio
the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philoso-
phy.
of 2:5 (v:v, packed cell suspension: glass beads)
2 Current address: Physical and Life Sciences, Wil- in a 15 x 100 mm conical centrifuge tube. The
son College, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania 17201. tube was then agitated on a vortex mixer at the
387

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388 MYCOLOGIA

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RUCH AND MOTTA: PSILOCYBE BASIDIOSPORES 389

highest speed for 30 s. The mixture was resus- then post-fixed in OsO4 and processed for elec-
pended in buffer and the spores were separated tron microscopy, except that section staining was
from the glass beads. After separation, the spores omitted. Lysosomes were also localized at the
were pelleted and post-fixed for 2 h at 25 C in light microscopic level using the acridine orange
1% OsO4. They were then washed in distilled procedure of Wilson et al. (1978) and examined
water, centrifuged and the pellet mixed with a by means of fluorescence microscopy with the
drop of warm 3% agar. After solidifying, the agar- filter combination indicated above.
spore mixture was cut into small pieces, dehy- Cytochemical localization of catalase was at-
drated, embedded in Epon 812, sectioned and tempted with the DAB procedure of Novikoff
stained with uranyl acetate followed by lead ci- and Goldfischer (1969). Basidiospores were fixed
trate. Electron micrographs were made in a Hi- and washed as for acid phosphatase. After frac-
tachi HU-11C electron microscope. turing the wall, spores were rinsed with three
For light microscopy, lipids were visualized by changes of 0.05 M 2-amino-2-methyl-l,2-pro-
staining spores, previously fixed in 50% ethanol, panediol buffer (AMP), pH 9.2. Spores were
in a saturated solution of Sudan Black B in 70% preincubated in the reaction mixture minus sub-
ethanol (Jensen, 1962). Insoluble polysaccha- strate for 45 min at 25 C, followed by 60 min at
rides and proteins were demonstrated using the 37 C in complete medium containing 3,3-di-
periodic acid-Schiff's and aniline blue-black aminobenzidine-tetrahydrochloride. Controls
method (Motta, 1971). consisted of (a) medium minus hydrogen per-
For acid phosphatase localization, basidio- oxide, (b) spores preincubated for 45 min at 25
spores were fixed for 1 h at 15 C in 1% glutar- C in AMP buffer containing 0.02 M aminotri-
aldehyde in 0.05 M cacodylate buffer, pH 7.4, azole and transferred to complete medium also
before fracturing the walls. After fracturing, the containing 0.02 M of the inhibitor, (c) a sodium
spore suspension was washed three times, 15 min fluoride treatment as for acid phosphatase. After
each, in 0.05 M citrate buffer, pH 5, followed by sequential washes of the appropriate buffers the
three 10 min washes in 0.05 M acetate buffer pH material was processed for electron microscopy
5. Basidiospores were preincubated for 60 min as before.
in the reaction medium minus substrate, fol- Attempts to localize malate synthase were
lowed by incubation in the complete reaction made using the method ofTrelease et al. (1974).
medium for 2 h at 37 C. The reaction medium Basidiospores were fixed in 0.5% glutaralde-
consisted of 0.3 ml distilled water and 4.7 ml of hyde-4% formaldahyde (paraformaldehyde) in
a solution containing the following: 10 ml 0.2 M 0.05 M cacodylate buffer, pH 6.9, at 4 C for 60-
acetate buffer, pH 5; 10 ml 1.25% sodium f-gly- 90 min (Powell, 1976). After fixation, spores were
cerolphosphate, pH 5; and 20 ml 0.22% lead washed with buffer, fractured, then washed three
nitrate. The controls consisted of (a) basidio- times, 15 min each, with the incubation medium.
spores incubated in the reaction medium minus The spores were resuspended in the incubation
substrate or (b) basidiospores pretreated for 60 medium and transferred to 37 C for 60 min.
min at 25 C with 0.01 M NaF in 0.05 M acetate Heat-killed basidiospores (20 min at 60 C) and
buffer before being incubated in the complete reaction mixture minus sodium glyoxylate and
medium also containing 0.01 M NaF. After treat- acetyl CoA were used as controls. After incu-
ment spores were washed 3 times each in reac- bation the spores were washed in three 15 min
tion mixture buffer followed by fixative buffer, changes of 0.05 M cacodylate buffer, pH 6.9, and

FIGS. 1-7. Psilocybe cubensis basidiospores. 1. Basidiospore wall layers, x 20,200. 2. Nonmedian section
through the hilar appendage of a basidiospore, x 21,100. 3. Near median section through the germ pore of a
basidiospore, x 32,300.4. Apex of spore showing pore cap and subtending ectosporium, x 31,100. 5. Basidiospore
nuclei stained with mithramycin, x 1450. 6. Endoplasmic reticulum and nuclei. Note apparent continuation of
the ER and nuclear envelope (arrow), x 28,000. 7. Basidiospore showing typical binucleate condition. Compare
with FIG. 5. Arrows indicate nuclear pores, x 31,800. Abbreviations: Ec, ectosporium; En, endosporium; Ep,
episporium; ER, endoplasmic reticulum; HA, hilar appendage; L, lipid globule; M, mitochondrion; Mb, micro-
body; mt, microtubule; N, nucleus; Nu, nucleolus; P, pore cap; V, vacuole.

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390 M IYCOLOGIA

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RUCH AND MOTTA: PSILOCYBE BASIDIOSPORES 391

processed for electron microscopy as with other defined and in thin section no depression of the
enzyme localizations. spore wall is seen at this point (FIG. 3).
Catalase, isocitrate lyase, and malate synthase Freshly discharged basidiospores of P. cu-
were also determined in vitro according to the bensis have a distinct internal morphology (FIG.
methods of Liick (1963), Dixon and Kornberg 10). The protoplasm is bound by a well defined
(1959), and Cooper and Beevers (1969a) respec- plasma membrane characterized by many dis-
tively. Basidiospores were collected by centrif- tinct invaginations (FIG. 8). At the poles of the
ugation and suspended in 5 ml cold grinding spore large numbers of nonmembrane-bound
medium consisting of 1 mM EDTA; 0.15 mM lipid-like globules occur (FIGS. 10, 13, 14). Two
Tricine buffer [N-tris(hydroxylmethyl)meth- nuclei, each approximately 1.5-2 Am diam, are
ylglycine] pH 7.5; 10 mM KC1; 1 mM MgCl2; 1 typically present in each spore. The nuclei are
mg/ml dithioerythritol; and 0.1% Triton X-100 always closely associated with each other and
(Cooper and Beevers, 1969a). A basidiospore/ generally occupy the center of the spore, lying on
glass bead mixture was homogenized in a Braun a plane perpendicular to its long axis (FIGS. 5,
Cell Homogenizer MKS for 40 s in the cold. The 7). The nucleoplasm, which appears homoge-
homogenate was centrifuged (500 x gfor 10 min neous except for a large, prominent nucleolus, is
at 4 C), lipids, if present, removed, the pellet surrounded by a distinct nuclear envelope. Nu-
resuspended in the supernatant, and the homog- clear pores appear along the envelope of inter-
enate used for analysis. As a check, a similar phase nuclei. In all cases, nucleoli are laterally
preparation of endosperm from 4 day old castor positioned within the nucleus and in close prox-
bean seedlings was assayed simultaneously (Coo- imity to the nuclear envelope.
per and Beevers, 1969a). Total protein was de- Well defined mitochondria are distributed
termined by the method of Lowry et al. (1951) throughout the protoplasm (FIGs. 10, 12). In sec-
with crystalline bovine albumen as a standard. tion each mitochondrion is bound by a well de-
fined outer membrane often associated with ri-
RESULTS
bosomes (FIGS. 10, 12). Only a few, well
Basidiospores of Psilocybe cubensis have a thick delineated plate-like cristae are observed. Mi-
wall composed of three distinct layers (FIGS. 1, tochondria are circular to ellipsoid in section,
2). The ectosporium, which is slightly electron- 300-700 nm diam. Branching was not observed
opaque and appears mucilaginous, varies in and it appears that many mitochondria are pres-
width, being widest at the apex of the spore (FIG. ent, although serial sections were not made to
3). Associated with the ectosporium and partially confirm this.
covering the germ pore is an electron-opaque Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is sparsely dis-
pore cap (FIGS. 3, 4, 14). The pore cap is trap- tributed throughout the cytoplasm of dormant
ezoidal, with the shorter of the two parallel sides basidiospores and is sometimes confluent with
facing the germ pore. The pore cap was never the nuclear envelope (FIG. 6). No continuity be-
observed to be in contact with the epi- or en- tween the ER and plasma membrane was ob-
dosporium. The episporium is a thick, electron- served.
opaque layer of uniform thickness (600-700 nm Each spore contains numerous single mem-
in median section) except for the regions of the brane-bound vacuoles of various sizes (FIGS. 10-
germ pore and hilar appendage where it thins 12). These vacuoles contain an amorphous elec-
significantly (FIGS. 1-4, 14). The endosporium is tron-dense material which may or may not fill
electron-transparent and is also of uniform thick- the entire matrix. In addition, many microbody-
ness (approximately 100 nm) but becomes thick- like organelles can be observed. They appear as
er at the hilar appendage and germ pore where small, less than 500 nm diam, circular structures
it makes up the bulk of the wall material. The in cross section, bound by a single unit mem-
germ pore, approximately 1 ,m diam, is well brane (FIGS. 7, 10, 12-14). The matrices of these

4-

FIGS. 8-10. Psilocybe cubensis basidiospores. 8. Plasma membrane of spore with distinct invaginations,
x 76,300. 9. Light micrograph of spore stained with Sudan Black B to show polar distribution of lipid, x 2780.
10. Longitudinal section of basidiospore illustrating various organelles. Nuclear pores indicated by unlabeled
arrows, x30,300.

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392 MYCOLOGIA

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FIGS. 11-19. Psilocybe cubensis basidiospores. 11. Thin sections illustrating typical, single membrane-bound
vacuoles, x 88,100. 12. Mitochondrion with associated ribosomes, x 31,500. 13. Microbodies located between
lipid globules and hilar appendage, x 20,900. 14. Microbodies located between lipid globule and germ pore,
x 36,300. 15. PAS-stained thick section showing distribution of insoluble polysaccharides. Note absence of
staining between the two areas of lipid, x 2010. 16. Aniline blue-black-stained thick section. Note unstained
polar regions. Arrow indicates nucleolus, x2010. 17. Non-specific staining of hilar appendage with acridine
orange, x 1770. 18. Broken cell with acridine orange staining of presumptive lysosomes, x 1770. 19. Acid
phosphatase localization with Gamori method x 2780.

--4

FIGS. 20-22. Psilocybe cubensis basidiospores. Acid phosphatase localization. 20. Acid phosphatase without
post-staining, x 21,500. 21, 22. Acid phosphatase with post-staining to illustrate unreactive microbodies, x 26,600
and x 44,000, respectively.

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RUCH AND MOTTA: PSILOCYBE BASIDIOSPORES 393

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394 MYCOLOGIA

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FIGS. 23-25. Psilocybe cubensis basidiospores. 23. Acid phosphatase, sodium fluoride control, x 23,000. 24.
Acid phosphatase, reaction mixture minus the substrate control, x 24,100.25. Catalase localization. Note reaction
product only in mitochondria, x 26,800.

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RUCH AND MOTTA: PSILOCYBE BASIDIOSPORES 395

TABLE I

CATALASE AND GLYOXYLATE CYCLE ENZYME ACTIVITIES IN THE 500 X G SUPERNATANT PREPARATIONS OF
PSILOCYBE CUBENSIS AND CASTOR BEAN ENDOSPERM

Catalase Malate synthase Isocitrate lyase


Unitsa SAb Unitsa SAb Unitsa SAb

P. cubensis 668 33.2 0 0 3.9 0.18


Castor bean 5280 117.6 10.8 0.24 7.7 0.17

a Units of enzyme activity per gram fresh weight. (One enzyme unit is defined as the amount of enzyme that
produced 1 Amol of product/min.)
b Specific activity equals units per mg protein.

organelles are homogeneous and no crystalline ever, lead deposits are also observed along the
inclusions are observed. Microbody-like organ- plasma membrane, in the space between the plas-
elles are often associated with the lipid globules ma membrane and the wall, in the wall itself,
and were the only organelles, except ribosomes, especially the endosporium, and within the nu-
occurring between the lipid globules and the cell clei. No lead deposits are seen in nuclei of the
wall. No physical association between ER and sodium fluoride control (FIG. 23) or in the spores
microbody-like organelles is observed and the incubated in the reaction mixture minus the sub-
limiting membrane of the latter is free of ribo- strate (FIG. 24).
somes. The distribution of reaction product in the cat-
Neither dictyosomes nor rosettes of glycogen alase procedure is illustrated in FIG. 25. Only
(a-particles) were observed in basidiospores and mitochondrial cristae have a positive DAB re-
microtubules were seen only occasionally (FIG. action. Reaction product is never observed in
13). any of the other organelles. Similarly, attempts
Sudan Black B stains clusters of globules at the to visualize malate synthase activity were all neg-
poles of the spore (FIG. 9) corresponding to those ative. The in vitro experiments to detect activity
observed in thin sections. Thick sections of dor- of these enzymes is summarized in TABLE I. Both
mant basidiospores stained by PAS-Schiffs ex- catalase (33.2 units/mg protein) and isocitrate
hibit a strong positive reaction along the endo- lyase (0.18 units/mg protein) appear to be pres-
sporium and germ plug (FIG. 15). Other than a ent, but no malate synthase activity is detected.
very weak positive reaction of lipids, there ap-
pears to be a conspicuous absence of staining DISCUSSION
within the protoplasm of the spores. When sec-
tions are counterstained with aniline blue-black Psilocybe cubensis has a thick, multilayered
however, the internal compartment of the spore basidiospore wall characteristic of the spore wall
stains uniformly blue (FIG. 16). described for other Psilocybe species (Olah, 1973;
Unfixed basidiospores treated with acridine Stocks and Hess, 1970) and several Pholiota
orange do not exhibit internal fluorescence if the species (Arita, 1979; Clemencon, 1974; Melen-
spore wall remains intact. Only the spore wall, dez-Howell, 1967a, b). The germ pore of P. cu-
especially near and including the hilar appen- bensis is similar in structure to the germ pore of
dage, fluoresces orange (FIG. 17). No fluorescence P. mutans McKnight (Stocks and Hess, 1970),
of the spore wall is observed if the wall is frac- except that there is no depression of the epi-
tured during preparation. In such spores, there sporium in thin section. The germ pore of P.
is bright yellow-orange to red-orange fluores- cubensis is formed by the extension of the en-
cence of numerous particulate bodies, which are dosporium into the episporial layer, which forms
distributed throughout the protoplasm (FIG. 18). a thin covering over the endosporium. Thus, the
In light microscopy, the distribution of reaction bulk of the germ plug is formed from the inner,
product in spores stained by the Gamori method electron-transparent endosporial layer. This type
for acid phosphatase is also as discrete, randomly of germ pore, type A of the five types described
distributed particles (FIG. 19). Ultrastructurally, by Melendez-Howell (1967a, b), is characteristic
reaction product appears as heavy deposits of of most species of Strophariaceae (Pegler and
electron-opaque material primarily in single Young, 1971), several Pholiota species (Arita,
membrane-bound vacuoles (FIGS. 20-22). How- 1979; Melendez-Howell, 1967a, b), and most

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396 MYCOLOGIA

species in the Cortinariaceae (Hawker and Mad- and the enzymes for oxidation of fatty acids
elin, 1976). (Breidenbach et al., 1968; Cooper and Beevers,
McLaughlin (1977) described the develop- 1969a, b). Basidiospores incubated in the DAB
ment of a pore cap in Coprinus cinereus (Schaef- medium for the localization ofcatalase, however,
fer:Fr.) Fr. The immature basidiospore of C. gave a negative reaction. Similarly, attempts to
cinereus had a six-layered wall. Pore cap for- localize malate synthetase in the spores were un-
mation was initiated by the disruption of the successful. Since it has been established that the
third wall layer at the spore apex. As the spore conditions for in situ demonstration of these en-
matured, a well developed pore cap appeared to zymes might vary with the species (see Maxwell
form by the irregular interdigitation of wall ma- et al., 1977), we attempted in vitro demonstration
terials continuous with layers three and four. Like of catalase, malate synthetase and isocitrate lyase.
C. cinereus but unlike P. mutans (Stocks and The presence of catalase and isocitrate lyase in
Hess, 1970), P. cubensis has a distinct pore cap basidiospore homogenates (TABLE I) lends sup-
embedded in the ectosporial layer over the germ port to Maxwell et al.'s (1977) hypotheses that
pore. Although its origin was not directly deter- the appropriate conditions for in situ demon-
mined in this study, it appears that the pore cap stration of these enzymes were not met in these
of P. cubensis may originate from the epispo- experiments. The inability to demonstrate ma-
rium. Since the electron-opacity of the epispo- late synthetase activity, neither in situ nor in
rium and the pore cap are similar, and the char- vitro, was unexpected. However, several expla-
acteristic trapezoidal pore cap matches the break nations are possible in addition to those already
seen in the episporium, the latter hypothesis alluded to, including the hypothesis that this par-
seems reasonable and consistent with Mc- ticular enzyme may simply not be present until
Laughlin's (1977) interpretation. conditions for germination exist. Clearly, many
Mitochondria of dormant basidiospores have more definitive experiments must be carried out
been described as poorly defined with only a few in order to answer this question.
cristae (Arita, 1979; Hyde and Walkinshaw, 1966; The demonstration of acid phosphatase and
Voelz and Niederpruem, 1964). However, the lysosome-like organelles in the basidiospores of
freeze-fractured basidiospores of P. mutans ex- P. cubensis is less ambiguous. Acridine orange,
hibited well defined mitochondria (Stocks and commonly used by cytologists to stain lysosomes
Hess, 1970). Similar mitochondria, having well in living animal cells (Koenig, 1969; Dingle and
delineated cristae, were seen in P. cubensis. The Barrett, 1969), has also been used as a marker
number of cristae visible in any single mito- for fungal lysosomes (Wilson et al., 1978). Ac-
chondrion is highly dependent on the section ridine orange is a cationic metachromatic dye,
through that mitochondrion. whose selective staining of lysosomes and other
The positive reaction of material distributed important cellular organelles is dependent both
at the poles of the spore stained with Sudan Black upon the pH and the concentration of the dye in
B is consistent with the hypothesis that the sim- the staining medium (Koenig, 1969; Motta, 1971).
ilarly distributed, nonmembrane-bound globules The thickened walls of P. cubensis basidiospores
visible in the electron microscope are primarily apparently prevented uptake of acridine orange
lipid in character. The relative abundance of this by cellular components. That the dye bound to
material in the spore, coupled with the apparent the wall and fluoresced a bright orange indicated
lack of an insoluble polysaccharide such as gly- the presence of a polyionic charge on the wall,
cogen, as demonstrated by the negative PAS re- particularly in the region of the hilar appendage.
action and the absence of particles in the cyto- Ultrastructurally, acid phosphatase activity as-
plasm, is significant. This and the observation of sociated with this area could not be demonstrat-
the relative abundance of microbody-like organ- ed, however. Although this result does not pre-
elles in association with the presumptive lipid clude the occurrence ofhydrolytic enzymes from
bodies led us to the attempts to localize enzymes this region, it does suggest that the binding of
typically identified with microbodies, specifical- acridine orange to the wall was non-specific and
ly, those of glyoxysomes. likely due to electrostatic forces. Fractured walls
Glyoxysomes, as described from higher plants, apparently permitted penetration of the dye, and
contain an array of enzymes, among them cat- the particles stained within the cell correspond
alase, all of the enzymes of the glyoxylate cycle, in relative size and distribution to the acid phos-

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RUCH AND MOTTA: PSILOCYBE BASIDIOSPORES 397

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398 MYCOLOGIA

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Acridine orange as a lysosome marker in fungal
spores. Phytopathology 68: 1564-1567. Accepted for publication November 17, 1986

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