Effect of addition of accelerator during resin-embedding process on transmission electron microscopic images of Pleurotus ostreatus fruiting bodies

Abstract

For transmission electron microscopic (TEM) observation of biological specimens, ultrathin sections are cut from resin-embedded specimens. No data have been reported on the effect of adding an accelerator to the resin mixture on TEM images of mushroom fruiting bodies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of adding an accelerator to the resin mixture during the resin-infiltration process in the fruiting bodies of Pleurotus ostreatus. When a resin mixture containing the accelerator was used, the plasma membrane and intracellular membrane-bound organelles were clearly detectable. When a resin mixture without an accelerator was used, the contrast was relatively low. In particular, the membrane structure of the mitochondria and most of the nuclear envelope and rough endoplasmic reticulum were not detectable. These results suggest that the use of a resin mixture containing an accelerator is essential during the embedding process for the analysis of intracellular membranes in the fruiting bodies of mushrooms.