HISTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF A DERMATOPHYTE UNDER AN ELECTRON MICROSCOPE

TRICHOPHYTON MENTAGROPHYTES CELL WALL

抄録

Whichever sections of Trichophyton mentagrophytes were treated by chromic acid-silver methenamine, periodic acid-silver methenamine, periodic acid-thiocarbohydrazide-silver proteinate, or alkaline bismuth histochemical staining techniques, the cell walls were densely impregnated and clearly defined.
In the case of sections stained with alkaline bismuth, the cell walls revealed histochemical ultrastructures, there being fine granular structures all over, microfibrous structures in the inner half of the cell wall, and coarse granular structures arranged close together on the outer surface of the plasma membrane.
It was discovered from the results of controlled experiments involving acetylation, saponification, periodic acid oxidation and chitinase digestion that the chemical substances of the afore-mentioned structures are in the main composed of polysaccharides containing vic-glycol groups, and supported by chitin. Furthermore, satisfactory electron micrographs of the general structures of fungal cells were obtained from sections which had been treated with alkaline bismuth, combined with uranyl acetate, followed by the lead citrate poststaining technique.