CORRELATION OF HISTOCHEMISTRY 

 AND FINE STRUCTURE 

 OF THE IN VITRO SPHERULE 

 OF COCCIDIOIDES IMMITIS 



A. M BRESLAU and J. 0. ERICKSON 



Vétérans Administration Center and U.C.L.A. Médical Center, 

 Los Angeles, Califomia 



The wall and septa of the spherule which are not degraded by diastase, 

 hyaluronidase or lysozyme, stain positively with PAS and negatively 

 with alcian blue. Lamellae of électron transparent fibrils (polysaccharide) 

 are embedded in a matrix which is removed by trypsin. 



Corresponding to the lack of the external phospholipid layer in the in 

 vitro spherule, thethick electron-opaque layer seen on the in vivo spherule 

 is lacking. 



The mitochondria which contain phospholipid are arranged around the 

 peripheryof the immature spherule. The cristae frequently are longitudinal. 

 The mitochondria reproduce by elongation and fission. 



TTie large number of opaque granules attached to the fine cytoplasmic 

 reticulum correspond to cytoplasmic RNA. The nucleolus is a large dense 

 mass of aggregated crystal-like granules. The nuclear DNA is less clearly 

 visualized, whereas the phospholipid-containing nuclear membrane is 

 clearly delimited. 



In the immature spherule, the central vacuole which is largely électron 

 transparent and contains neutral and acid mucopolysaccharide develops 

 in close association with what may be the Golgi Apparatus. 



Both the wall and the so lubie polysaccharides are antigenic and fix 

 complément. 



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