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Fig. 4 | Botanical Studies

Fig. 4

From: A termite symbiotic mushroom maximizing sexual activity at growing tips of vegetative hyphae

Fig. 4

Nuclei at various stages of the Termitomyces symbiont. a–h Vegetative hyphal tips. Nuclei in a, c, e, g, and i were stained with HCl-Giemsa, whereas those in b, d, f, and h were with DAPI. a, b A fused nucleus in the terminal cell. Nuclei of the penultimate cell in b are about to fuse. c, d Elongated nuclei at the stage resembling Meiosis I. e, f Nuclei resulting from a binucleate parent cell right after the stage resembling Meiosis II. Septum (arrowhead) is forming to bisect the four nuclei in e. g, h Nuclei resulting from a trinucleate parent cell right after the stage resembling meiosis II. i Conidiophore attached with developing conidia, each of which has a fused nucleus or two nuclei ready to fuse. j, k Conidia. Those in j are binucleate, whereas those in k are either uninucleate or quadrinucleate (arrowhead). l Uninucleate basidiospores. m–x Nuclei labelled with red FISH probes at ITS1-5.8S rDNA-ITS2 region and counterstained with DAPI to render the nuclei blue. m Haploid nucleus of a basidiospore showing a FISH signal. n–r Nuclei at various stages of the meiotic-like process released from hyphae. n Nucleus at prophase showing FISH signals on four stringy chromatids attached to a nucleolus (the dark region pointed by an arrowhead). o Nucleus at prophase. p Nucleus at early metaphase showing FISH signals on four condensed chromatids attached to a nucleolus (the dark region pointed by an arrow). q Nucleus at metaphase, with chromosomes shown as condensed blue spots. r Nucleus at anaphase. s–x Nuclei at vegetative hyphal tips, which appear hazy owing to cell wall being partially digested by enzymes. s Two haploid nuclei before karyogamy. t Fused nucleus at prophase. u Two nuclei at a stage resembling anaphase of meiosis II. v Four nuclei after a meiotic-like division. w Three haploid nuclei before karyogamy. x Aberrant hyphal tip showing five postmeiotic nuclei with two (arrowheads) still active in division. Scale bars in a–m, s–x = 5 μm, and n–r = 2.5 μm

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