Interaction of Catenaria anguillulae with Romanomermis culicivorax

• Published in: Journal of invertebrate pathology Vol. 73; no. 2; pp. 147 - 153
• Main Authors: Platzer, A.C, Platzer, E.G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier 01.03.1999
• Subjects: adhesion; Biological and medical sciences; Catenaria anguillulae; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; host-parasite relationships; hyphae; Invertebrates; mortality; Nemathelminthia. Plathelmintha; nematophagous fungi; Pathology; penetration; Romanomermis culicivorax; sporangia; zoospores; Host parasite relation; Sporangium; Romanomermis culicivorax; Fungi; Mycoparasite; Histopathology; Transmission electron microscopy; Animal plant relation; Ultrastructure; Helmintha; Development; Nemathelminthia; Invertebrata; Nematoda; Thallophyta
• ISSN: 0022-2011; 1096-0805
• DOI: 10.1006/jipa.1998.4820

The development of Catenaria anguillulae, at 27 degrees C, in live and heat-immobilized Romanomermis culicivorax was studied at the ultrastructural level. C. anguillulae zoospores infected eggs, preparasites, and post-parasites. The zoospores attached predominately to the head of preparasites but in postparasites attachment was primarily on the attenuated tail region. Zoospore attachment usually occurred within 4 h but at high zoospore densities attachment occurred within 30 min. Infection hyphae penetrated the cuticle and developed sporangial swellings within the nematode tissues and pseudocoelom. Sporangia produced exit tubes within 48 h. Those regions of the J3 and J4 nematodes infected by C. anguillulae became immobile whereas uninfected regions remained mobile. The J2 infected nematodes usually died within 1-2 days. Tissues adjacent to C. anguillulae hyphae or developing sporangia appeared to be relatively unaffected and ultrastructurally normal. The lack of an apparent host response in the nematode suggested either a lack of hypersensitivity or a long evolutionary host-parasite relationship.