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ABSTRACT
Microbodies in the protoplast and hyphal stages of the insect pathogen Entomophaga aulicae differ in their ultrastructural characteristics. Protoplast microbodies are either thin and elongate, or cup-shaped with a hood-like extension of the delimiting membrane. The membrane may protrude into the matrix of the microbody forming tubular invaginations 45–50 nm in diameter. In contrast, hyphal microbodies are ovoid, and never cup-shaped or as elongate as those observed in protoplasts. Hyphal microbodies exhibit tubular invaginations of the delimiting membrane similar to those observed in protoplasts, and, in addition, contain one or several inclusions. Inclusions in hyphal microbodies consist of a crystalline lattice, one of a number of similar inclusions of a less defined nature, or a presumptive lipid body. These morphological variations probably reflect functional differences for microbodies of E. aulicae and suggest that microbodies have limited value as phylogenetic markers.
