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ABSTRACT
Hyphae of an isolate of Leucostoma persoonii with an aberrant morphology and low virulence, were compared to a virulent isolate of normal morphology using transmission electron microscopy. Cultures of the aberrant isolate differ from the normal isolate in pycnidial formation, in compactness of mycelial growth, and in production of hyphae with tips that exude cellular debris. An ultrastructural examination of this isolate revealed the presence of virus-like particles within the fungal cytoplasm. The VLPs are 32.0 ± 3.0 nm diameter, frequently exhibit an electron-dense core and are surrounded by a capsidlike shell. They occur freely interspersed with the cytoplasmic organelles forming occasional aggregates bounded by a membrane. A number of cytoplasmic abnormalities are associated with the presence of VLPs including deformations of the mitochondria, increased vesiculation of the cytoplasm and clustering of organelles not observed in the virulent isolate. VLPs were not observed in the cytoplasm of the virulent isolate which contained the normal complement of organelles.