Ultra-Structural Cellular Changes in Tomato Roots Induced by Mycorrhizal Fungi Colonization

The aim of study was to detect the structural modification of Glomus mosseae in tomato cells using Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). SEM and TEM observations showed that tomato root cell walls were able to colonize intensively by G. mosseae. The availability of G. mosseae structures in huge amount was attributed to cell wall lignification. Mature spores of G. mosseae in addition to net of vesicles and arbuscules were shown attached with the root cell in SEM observation. Large number of small vacuoles observed as a response to the heavy colonization by G. mosseae. The entire arbuscules were observed by TEM surrounded by the plasmalemma of the cell host. The colonization by G. mosseae occurred through the hyphae structure between root epidermal cells and the huge number of nuclei. The nuclei were observed in colonized cells and new entry point in the cell wall. Endophytic G. mosseae penetrates root and grow extensively between and within living cortical cells and affects many aspects of root metabolism. copyright 2012 Friends Science Publishers