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Scanning electron stereoscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to correlate morphological alterations and cytological phenomena associated with deterioration of arbuscules in yellow poplar mycorrhizae. Arbuscular degradation was initiated at the tips of the finest branches and progressed basipetally. Cytoplasm in arbuscular hyphae progressively deteriorated and was followed by collapse of the fungal walls. Degraded portions of the arbuscules aggregated into clumps comprised of host wall material and the distorted fungal walls. Host nuclei, abundant mitochondria, and proplastids were closely associated with arbuscular branches undergoing cytoplasmic deterioration and with clumped portions of the arbuscule which contained degraded hyphal branches. Most of the arbuscules observed had deteriorated to the clumped stage. Some cortical cells contained several clumped arbuscules and nearly mature, intact arbuscules which indicated that reinfection occurs even as degradative phenomena are in progress. It is suggested that substantial quantities of mineral nutrients may be made available to the host via degradation of fungal cytoplasm in the arbuscular hyphae preceding aggregation of degraded hyphae into discrete clumps.
Kinden et al. (Mon,) studied this question.