Ultrastructural Changes of Chinese Cabbage Root Tissues Associated with Pathogenesis of Plasmodiophora brassicae

Roots of Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris var. chinensis) seedlings infected with Plasmodiophora brassicae were examined by light and electron microscopy to reveal histopathological changes related to pathogenesis in the susceptible host. The pathogen colonized the cortex and partly the stele as well, invading up to the xylem. Gall tissues could be differentiated from the initially infected tissues, involving less compact organization and new vascular development. The infected cells were much hypertrophied, and contained one to several plasmodia. Except cellular hypertrophy, no pathological ultrastructural modification was noted in the infected calls. Infected cytoplasm became dense with ground cytoplasm, inconspicuous central vacuole, and increased cellular organelles such as mitochondria and dictyosomes. There were two types of nuclear states of plasmodium, uninucleate and multinucleate. Both plasmodia were structurally similar, filled with lipid droplets, bounded with envelope, and containing mitochondria, endo-plasmic reticulum, and sometimes small vacuoles. Plasmodial fragmentation, which may be regarded as a way to discharge plasmodial materials into host cytoplasm, commonly occurred, forming plasmodial fragments by outgrowth of plasmodial cytoplasm and regional compartmentalization. Plasmodial fragments were degenerated sometimes followed by forming chains of spherical vesicles especially in the uninucleate plasmodial state. These ultrastructural features indicate the biotrophic nature of the pathogen associated with its pathogenesis in the susceptible host.