sorosphaera

Sorosphaera

There are two papers in the literature about Sorosphaera that are important from the standpoint of plasmodiophorids in general. First, the 1958 paper by C. E. Miller, is one of the best papers on life cycles for members of the group. It is highly recommended for anyone who intends to study plasmodiophorids.

The second paper is by Palm and Burk (1933), and has led some reviewers of the group to question the validity of several of the genera. My observations of the genera Palm and Burk wanted to combine do not support their conclusion: The sporosori in most cases clearly distinguish the genera. I still recommend that anyone interested in the plasmodiophorids read the Palm and Burk paper.

Personal Comments

Sorosphaera is a special organism to me because it was my introduction to the plasmodiophorids by the late Charles E. Miller. When I joined the faculty of Environmental & Plant Biology (then it was the Department of Botany) at Ohio University in 1970, Charlie was excited to have a new colleague interested in nuclear structure and who could use the transmission electron microscope (TEM). He encouraged me to read his 1958 paper on Sorosphaera, and, once I did, we set off to Chapel Hill, NC, to collect Veronica with galls for me to prepare for TEM (also see Cruciform Division page). The first images I saw of the material in the TEM hooked me on the group, and several papers resulted from our TEM observations. A few years later we started finding populations of Veronica with galls on the Ohio University campus. We could not determine if the infected populations in Ohio were from material we brought back from Chapel Hill, or if they were there all along. I started using the galls on Veronica for projects for students in a course on TEM, and that is how we were able to interest several students in the plasmodiophorids.

I continue to find plants of Veronica with galls caused by Sorosphaera. After I retired from Ohio University and moved from Ohio to Georgia, as I walk around our neighborhood in Stone Mountain I often reach down and grab a handful of Veronica to look for galls (2005, 2008). If you look enough, you are bound to find Veronica plants with galls.

Images of Sorosphaera

Selected References for Sorosphaera

  • Blomfield, J. E. & E. J. Schwartz. 1910. Some observations on the tumours on Veronica chamaedrys caused by Sorosphaera veronicae. Ann. Bot. 24: 35-43.
  • Braselton, J. P. & C. E. Miller. 1973. Centrioles in Sorosphaera. Mycologia 65: 220-226.
  • _____ & _____. 1975. Host-parasite interface of Veronica persica and Sorosphaera veronicae (Plasmodiophoromycetes). Arch. Microbiol. 104: 97-99.
  • _____ & _____. 1978. Cyst formation in Sorosphaera veronicae (Plasmodiophoromycetes). Micron 9: 37-38.
  • _____, _____, & D. G. Pechak. 1975. The ultrastructure of cruciform nuclear division in Sorosphaera veronicae (Plasmodiophoromycete) [sic]. Amer. J. Bot. 62: 349-358.
  • Dylewski, D. P., J. P. Braselton, & C. E. Miller. 1978. Cruciform nuclear division in Sorosphaera veronicae (Plasmodiophoromycetes). Amer. J. Bot. 65: 258-267.
  • Fraser, R. S. S. & S. T. Buczacki. 1983. Ribosomal RNA molecular weights and the affinities of the Plasmodiophorales. Trans. Br. Mycol. Soc. 80: 107-112.
  • Harris, S. E., J. P. Braselton, & C. E. Miller. 1980. Chromosomal number of Sorosphaera veronicae (Plasmodiophoromycetes) based on ultrastructural analysis of synaptonemal complexes. Mycologia 72: 916-925.
  • Miller, C. E. 1958. Morphology and cytology of the zoosporangia and cystosori of Sorosphaera veronicae. J. Elisha Mitchell Sci. Soc. 74: 49-64.
  • Palm, B. T. & M. Burk. 1933. The taxonomy of the Plasmodiophoraceae. Arch. Protistenk. 79: 263-276.
  • Talley, M. R., C. E. Miller, & J. P. Braselton. 1978. Notes on the ultrastructure of zoospores of Sorosphaera veronicae. Mycologia 70: 1241-1247.
  • Webb, P. C. R. 1935. The cytology and life-history of Sorosphaera veronicae. Ann. Bot. 49: 41-52.