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School of Molecular & Biomedical Science
The University of Adelaide
AUSTRALIA 5005

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Dr David Ellis
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Zygomycetes

Disclaimer: Please note that some of the images within this gallery are somewhat explicit and are not recommended for viewing if you are squeamish or under the age of 18.

 

  • "Absidia corymbifera" - Microscopic morphology of Absidia corymbifera showing a typical pyriform shaped sporangium with a characteristic conical shaped columella and pronounced apophysis. i.e. a swelling of the sporangiophore below the columella.
  • "Apophysomyces elegans" - Culture of Apophysomyces elegans on Sabouraud’s dextrose agar.
  • "Apophysomyces elegans" - Young sporangium of Apophysomyces elegans showing distinctive funnel-shaped apophyses.
  • "Apophysomyces elegans" - Mature sporangium of Apophysomyces elegans showing distinctive funnel-shaped apophyses and a conspicuous pigmented sub-apical thickening below the apophysis.
  • "Basidiobolus ranarum" - Entomophthoromycosis caused by Basidiobolus ranarum showing a subcutaneous lesion involving the entire thigh and buttock of an Indonesian boy. There was a secondary bacterial infection following a biopsy. (Courtesy of Dr J.W. Rippon, University of Chicago, USA).
  • "Basidiobolus ranarum" - Entomophthoromycosis caused by Basidiobolus ranarum showing an ulcerated subcutaneous lesions on the abdomen of a young boy from Darwin.
  • "Basidiobolus ranarum" - Haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained section of tissue from a lesion on a child's arm showing broad septate hyphae surrounded by an eosinophilic sheath (Splenodore-Hoeppli phenomenon) typical of Entomophthoromycosis.
  • "Basidiobolus ranarum" - Basidiobolus ranarum on Sabouraud's dextrose agar after 17 days incubation at 26OC showing a flat, yellowish-grey, glabrous, radially folded colony covered by a fine, powdery, white surface mycelium. Note the satellite colonies formed by germinating conidia ejected from the primary colony.
  • "Basidiobolus ranarum" - Microscopic morphology of Basidiobolus ranarum showing globose, one-celled conidia that are forcibly discharged from a sporophore. The sporophore has a distinct swollen area just below the spore that actively participates in the discharge of the spore.
  • "Basidiobolus ranarum" - Microscopic morphology of Basidiobolus ranarum showing numerous round, smooth, thick-walled zygospores.
  • Entomophthoromycosis caused by "Conidiobolus coronatus" - showing bilateral distortion of the subcutaneous tissue of the nasal region. (Courtesy of Dr. J.W. Rippon, University of Chicago, USA.).
  • Entomophthoromycosis caused by "Conidiobolus coronatus" - in a patient seen at the Pasteur Institute in Paris in 1972 from the then French Camaroons. Note the massive swelling and distortion of the subcutaneous tissue of the nasal and perioral regions, with a large polypoid protrusion on the inner aspect of the lower lip. (Courtesy Dr R. Garrison, V.A. Medical Centre, Kansas City, U.S.A.).
  • Entomophthoromycosis caused by "Conidiobolus coronatus" - in a patient seen at the Pasteur Institute in Paris in 1972 from the then French Camaroons. Note the massive swelling and distortion of the subcutaneous tissue of the nasal and perioral regions, with a large polypoid protrusion on the inner aspect of the lower lip. (Courtesy Dr R. Garrison, V.A. Medical Centre, Kansas City, U.S.A.).
  • Entomophthoromycosis caused by "Conidiobolus coronatus" - Haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained section of tissue showing broad sparsely septate hyphae surrounded by an eosinophilic sheath (Splenodore-Hoeppli phenomenon) typical of Entomophthoromycosis. (Courtesy Dr R. Garrison, V.A. Medical Centre, Kansas City, U.S.A.).
  • "Conidiobolus coronatus" - Conidiobolus coronatus on Sabouraud's dextrose agar showing a flat, cream coloured, glabrous, radially folded colony covered by a fine, powdery, white surface mycelium.
  • "Conidiobolus coronatus" - Conidiobolus coronatus showing several mature, spherical sporangiola (conidia) with hair-like appendages, called villae and prominent papillae, marking the site of former attachment to the sporangiophore.
  • "Conidiobolus coronatus" - Conidiobolus coronatus showing several mature, spherical sporangiola (conidia) with hair-like appendages, called villae and prominent papillae, marking the site of former attachment to the sporangiophore.
  • "Cunninghamella bertholletiae" - Microscopic morphology of Cunninghamella bertholletiae showing simple sporangiophores forming a swollen, terminal vesicle around which single-celled, globose to ovoid, sporangiola develop on swollen denticles.
  • "Cunninghamella bertholletiae" - Microscopic morphology of Cunninghamella bertholletiae showing simple sporangiophores forming a swollen, terminal vesicle around which single-celled, globose to ovoid, sporangiola develop on swollen denticles.
  • "Mortierella wolfii" - Microscopic morphology of Mortierella wolfii showing a typical erect, delicate sporangiophore, wide at its base, with a compact cluster of short acrotonous (terminal) branches. On dehiscence of the sporangia a conspicuous collarette is usually present. Columella are generally lacking and sporangiospores are single-celled, short-cylindrical, with a double membrane.
  • "Mucor sp." - Microscopic morphology of a Mucor sp. showing erect, simple sporangiophores forming a terminal, globose sporangium, packed with sporangiospores and with a well developed subtending columella visible. 
  • "Mucor sp." - Microscopic morphology of a Mucor sp. showing erect, simple sporangiophores forming a terminal, globose sporangium, packed with sporangiospores and with a well developed subtending columella visible. The sporangial wall then dissolves allowing the release of the sporangiospores which exposes the columella. 
  • "Mucor sp." - Microscopic morphology of a Mucor sp. showing erect, simple sporangiophores forming a terminal, globose sporangium, packed with sporangiospores and with a well developed subtending columella visible. A collarette (remnants of the sporangial wall) is usually visible at the base of the columella following spore dispersal. 
  • "Rhizomucor pusillus" - Microscopic morphology of Rhizomucor pusillus showing sympodially branched sporangiophores with a septum below the sporangium. Sporangia are generally globose with an oval or pear-shaped columella. A collarette (remnants of the sporangial wall) is usually visible at the base of the columella following spore dispersal. Sporangiospores are globose to subglobose and are often mixed with crystalline remnants of the sporangial wall. Rhizomucor species are thermophilic and differ from species of Mucor by the development of primitive rhizoids.
  • "Rhizomucor pusillus" - Primitive rhizoids of Rhizomucor pusillus.
  • "Rhizopus oryzae" - Rhizopus oryzae on Sabouraud's dextrose agar. Colonies are very fast growing at 25oC, about 5-8mm high, with some tendency to collapse, white cottony at first becoming brownish grey to blackish-grey depending on the amount of sporulation.
  • "Rhizopus oryzae" - Microscopic morphology of Rhizopus oryzae. Sporangiophores up to l500mm in length and l8mm in width, smooth walled, non-septate, simple or branched, arising from stolons opposite rhizoids usually in groups of 3 or more. Sporangia are globose, often with a flattened base, greyish black, powdery in appearance, up to l75um in diam. and many spored. Columellae and apophysis together are globose, subglobose or oval, up to l30mm in height and soon collapsing to an umbrella-like form after spore release. Sporangiospores are angular, subglobose to ellipsoidal, with ridges on the surface, and up to 8mm in length. No growth at 45C; good growth at 40C.
  • "Rhizopus oryzae" - Microscopic morphology of Rhizopus oryzae. Sporangiophores up to l500mm in length and l8mm in width, smooth walled, non-septate, simple or branched, arising from stolons opposite rhizoids usually in groups of 3 or more. Sporangia are globose, often with a flattened base, greyish black, powdery in appearance, up to l75um in diam. and many spored. Columellae and apophysis together are globose, subglobose or oval, up to l30mm in height and soon collapsing to an umbrella-like form after spore release. Sporangiospores are angular, subglobose to ellipsoidal, with ridges on the surface, and up to 8mm in length. No growth at 45C; good growth at 40C.
  • "Saksenaea vasiformis" - Saksenaea vasiformis on Sabouraud's dextrose agar. 
  • "Saksenaea vasiformis" - Saksenaea vasiformis showing typical broad, sparsely septate hyphae. Note the septa in zygomycetous fungi are solid cross walls with no pores and there is no flow of cytoplasmic material between cells. Therefore, if a hyphal strand is damaged the whole segment perishes (see upper left hand section of slide). This is why zygomycetous fungi are often difficult to isolate from clinical specimens, i.e. during the biopsy procedure or in "chopping up" the specimen in the laboratory, all the hyphal elements become damaged and are non viable.
  • "Saksenaea vasiformis" - Saksenaea vasiformis showing a typical flask-shaped sporangium arising from darkly pigmented rhizoids. Note the oblong shaped sporangiospores filling the long neck of the sporangium.
  • "Saksenaea vasiformis" - Agar block method to induce sporulation of Saksenaea vasiformis and Apophysomyces elegans Briefly, a small block of agar is cut from a well established culture grown on PDA and is placed in the centre of petri dish containing 1% agar in distilled water. After 21 days at 26OC look for sporangium formation at the periphery of the petri dish.
  • "Syncephalastrum racemosum" - Microscopic morphology of Syncephalastrum racemosum showing terminal vesicle, finger-like merosporangia and sporangiospores.
  • "Syncephalastrum racemosum" - Mature merosporangia of Syncephalastrum racemosum showing sporangiospores arranged in rows.

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Last Modified 20/11/2009 David Ellis
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