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Diagnosis of Parasitic Fungi in the Plankton: Technique for Identifying and Counting Infective Chytrids Using Epifluorescence Microscopy

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Laboratory Protocols in Fungal Biology

Part of the book series: Fungal Biology ((FUNGBIO))

Abstract

Fungal epidemics, especially in the form of parasitic chytrids, are omnipresent in aquatic environments, infecting diverse organisms. Major target hosts are algae, primarily diatoms, chlorophytes, and colonial or filamentous cyanobacteria. Chytrids are also called “zoosporic” organisms because their life cycle includes dispersal forms, that is, uniflagellate zoospores, and host-associated infective sporangia. They are considered relevant not only for the evolution of their hosts but also for the population dynamics and successions of phytoplankton communities, thus representing an important ecologically driving force in the food web dynamics. However, ecological knowledge of microscopic fungal parasites in aquatic environments is weak, compared to terrestrial ecosystems. We propose a routine protocol based on size fractionation of pelagic samples and the use of the fluorochrome calcofluor white (which binds to β-1,3 and β-1,4 polysaccharides) for diagnosing, identifying, and counting chitinous fungal parasites (i.e., the sporangia of chytrids). The protocol offers a valid method for the quantitative ecology of chytrid epidemics in aquatic ecosystems and food web dynamics.

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Acknowledgements

SR and MG were supported by PhD Fellowships from the French Ministère de la Recherche et de la Technologie (MRT). This study receives grant-aided support from the French ANR Programme Blanc # ANR 07 BLAN 0370 titled DREP: Diversity and Roles of Eumycetes in the Pelagos.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UMR CNRS 6023, Université Blaise Pascal, Clermont II, 24 Avenue des Landais, 80026, 63171, Aubière Cedex, France

    Télesphore Sime-Ngando & Mélanie Gerphagnon

  2. Department of Biology, University of Oslo, Blindernvn. 31, Oslo, 0371, Norway

    Serena Rasconi

Authors
  1. Télesphore Sime-Ngando
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  2. Serena Rasconi
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  3. Mélanie Gerphagnon
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Télesphore Sime-Ngando .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Biochemistry, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, N/A, Ireland

    Vijai Kumar Gupta

  2. , Department of Biochemistry, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, N/A, Ireland

    Maria G. Tuohy

  3. , Department of Biochemistry, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, N/A, Ireland

    Manimaran Ayyachamy

  4. , Manufacturing Sciences and Technology, Pfizer Ireland Pharmaceuticals, The Pfizer Biotech Campus at Grange Castle, Clondalkin, N/A, Dublin, Ireland

    Kevin M. Turner

  5. , School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, N/A, Ireland

    Anthonia O’Donovan

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Sime-Ngando, T., Rasconi, S., Gerphagnon, M. (2013). Diagnosis of Parasitic Fungi in the Plankton: Technique for Identifying and Counting Infective Chytrids Using Epifluorescence Microscopy. In: Gupta, V., Tuohy, M., Ayyachamy, M., Turner, K., O’Donovan, A. (eds) Laboratory Protocols in Fungal Biology. Fungal Biology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-2356-0_11

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